St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School



Digital Leaders 

Our Digital Leaders are an integral part of our pupil leadership groups and are made up of a selection of year 4 to year 6 pupils. 

We meet on a monthly basis and discuss any current online issues at school and work together to educate the rest of the school about the importance of being safe online.  

This year, our Head Boy will be acting chair of the Digital Leaders whilst Miss Dwan is on maternity leave. 

 

This year, it was very difficult to chose our leadership team as we had nearly 40 applications. Well done to those who made it! 

Our Digital Leaders Recommend: 

 

Kidsmart.org.uk is an online resource for children, dedicated to improving eSafety and educating children on how to stay safe online and use the Internet effectively. They have resources covering a variety of topics:

                               

Safe searching: Kidsmart gives top tips, including how to use search engines efficiently, for example by ensuring the search term is clear and specific. It also notes that not all content on the Internet is reliable. Anybody can create a website that says anything they choose. In the classroom, I always advocate for children to compare different sources and consider how the opinion of the writer may affect what was been written. 

Digital footprints: It is important that children understand the fact that every time they use the Internet, they leave a trail of information of where they have been. Once a picture is uploaded onto a public website, it is impossible to then remove the picture from the Internet. Children should also be aware that everything they search for on the Internet is recorded and this can affect elements such as the advertisements you see on a webpage.

Online chat: Online chat, along with social media, has often made the headlines for negative reasons rather than positive. Online communication is often a medium for cyber-bullying as some people feel protected from behind a computer. In fact, very real damage is being done and Kidsmart reminds children that they need to show respect to individuals online, the same way they would in real life. Online chat also has the potential for children to be talking to strangers, or people who are not who they say they are. Children are implored to involve an adult if they are ever made to feel uncomfortable online.

Social networking: Kidsmart advises children to check the privacy settings on their accounts to ensure they are secure. It also warns of the potential for unmoderated video and image content that may be unsuitable for children. Children should also make sure that their profile does not make too much personal information public.