On Wednesday 20th January, Newcastle School for boys hosted an evening for parents/concerned adults to discuss how we can ensure a positive and safe experience for our boys using the internet. After a short introduction from Mr Hallam on how the school approaches internet safety that also included some statistics on our boys using social media, the main part of the evening was led by Ian Clennell, former Safeguarding lead for Newcastle City Council. Ina now runs Clennell Education Solutions which the school subscribes to and Ian has vast experience dealing with issues children face when using the internet. The evening involved a frank and at times very direct discussion on the issues Ian has come across and more importantly what parents can do to avoid their children falling into the same traps/pitfalls.
The event was very well attended which highlighted how important and current this topic is. For those of you who were unable to make it we do plan to hold a similar event in the future. Below you can find some resources that were used on the night and also some additional guidance on popular social media sites/apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, that you may find useful in discussions with your son.
G Hallam Deputy Head (Pastoral and Co-curricular)