This term sees the school launch an online safety program called Natterhub.  This will be used with all children from Y1 to Y6.  As children spend an increased amount of time online, it is important to take further steps to ensure their online safety and help them navigate the digital world. Natterhub is a safe, educational platform for primary schools.  It looks and functions like ‘real’ social media but it is gated to the school environment meaning that children can explore and play in a safe, online space to properly understand the benefits and potential pitfalls of being online.

Natterhub also includes weekly interactive lessons on all aspects of online safety for Years 1-6. These lessons aim to support your children in all aspects of their digital world and are aligned to the updated compulsory RSE National Curriculum, which makes online safety a compulsory element in primary school teaching.  The program will run throughout the year, with the children being guided through lessons on online safety by their teacher.  These lessons will be conducted online in a safe, private ‘hub’ which can only be accessed during school hours and is monitored by staff in school.

The ‘hub’ has a feed where the teacher will post quizzes and links to lesson materials which will help children to develop their critical thinking, digital empathy and online awareness skills. Children will be able to use the hub to interact with their classmates in a safe environment which is limited in both availability (hubs are open 9-3 on school days) and duration (session limits are imposed by the teachers).  We believe that through developing their skills and knowledge in a safe and monitored environment, children will be better equipped to venture into the wider digital world as they grow.

Children work their way through the Natterhub ‘Badges of Honour’, which track and assess their journey to become a fully-fledged digital citizen! This includes:

● How to communicate appropriately using technology

● The importance of time on and off screens

● How to learn effectively, using the Internet

● To make intelligent choices about what they do online

● The importance of respectful online dialogue

● To use privacy settings to stay safe online

You can view the site to gain more information and to view some of their excellent parent’s resources: https://natterhub.com/categories/parent-resources.