Dear Parents and Guardians,
It has been brought to our attention that some of our Year 6 students are allegedly sharing obscene imagery and language through personal WhatsApp messaging groups – this allegedly includes swearing and the sharing of pornographic imagery. Such behaviour is not in the spirit of our Character and Culture policy at DBIS and we have a responsibility to inform parents when information such as this is brought to our attention, even when the alleged behaviour is happening away from school and outside of school hours.
Internet safety and technical integrity are key components of our Learning Technologies and Learning for Life curricula, which involve students engaging in conversations, activities and lessons about being a responsible citizen online. Our Year 6 teaching team will be highlighting these messages with our students along with the type of language and behaviour that aligns with our school’s values and Character and Culture policy. Should you wish to speak with your own child about these topics, some key points are detailed below which you may find useful to guide such conversations as these align with our curriculum:
- According to WhatsApp, if you live in a country outside the European region, you must be at least 13 years old to register for and use WhatsApp. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) gives a 16+ rating for WhatsApp users.
- Common Sense Media provides lots of useful information for parents about technology and, in particular, social media platforms. A link to this website can be found below:
- As a school, we would advise that students do not keep their mobile phones in their bedrooms, especially during the night, to encourage an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Kidshealth.org recommends children of 11 years old should be getting between 9 and 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to support healthy growth and development.
- Have regular, open discussions about your family’s expectations for mobile phone and social media usage, including how parents will monitor children’s interactions online given their age and stage of development.
- We teach our students to apply the ‘Grandma Rule’, which essentially asks children to consider whether they would be happy for their grandparents to see the posts they make online or to friends.
Should you have any questions or would like further information about internet safety or guidelines to inform you of how to support your child’s use of social media, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.
Best wishes
Hannah Tait
Head of EYFS & Primary