Parents and Learners
Online Safety
As a special hybrid educational provision, Red Balloon of the Air is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our learners in both the physical and digital worlds. As technology is an integral part of our young people’s lives, it is essential for parent(s)/carer(s) to be informed and proactive about online safety. This page provides valuable resources and tips to help you keep your young person safe online, as well as outlining the policies and procedures established at RBAir.
Understanding online risks
Young people can encounter various risks online, including exposure to cyberbullying, accessing inappropriate content or people, and potential privacy violations if their personal data is shared and misused.
How RBAir ensures online safety
At RBAir, we take several proactive steps across policy, education and training to ensure the online safety of our learners:
- We have clear policies and procedures in place to report and respond to online safety concerns and incidents, supported by regular staff training.
- Online safety is embedded in all our policies and curriculum, to ensure that safeguarding young people both in person and online is at the forefront of our provision. Please see our Online Safety Policy for further details specifically relating to online safety.
- All young people joining RBAir are required to complete a six-week online safety course; for those of statutory school age this leads into joining a PSHE group.
- At the point of admission, an ICT Acceptable Use Agreement is signed by the learner and their parent/carer.
Monitoring and filtering
Every RBAir device is configured to ensure that all users, both learners and staff, are safe. Smoothwall is installed on all RBAir devices to ensure robust monitoring and filtering is in place to block inappropriate content and detect potential threats.
What is Smoothwall Monitor?
Smoothwall Monitor is a human moderated digital monitoring solution. If any unusual digital behaviours which signal a young person is at risk are detected, an alert is sent to the RBAir Safeguarding Team and logged automatically in our safeguarding software, CPOMS.
What is Smoothwall Filter?
Smoothwall Filter assesses the permissibility of every web page by using AI to evaluate the content, context and construction of the site and blocks any harmful content immediately.
Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials is a government-backed certification scheme designed to support organisations to protect the data they hold from the risk of cyber-attacks. In collaboration with our external IT provider, RBAir works hard to maintain our Cyber Essentials certification and remain compliant.
Tips for keeping young people safe online
Although we strive to protect learners to the best of our ability, there are limitations to RBAir’s reach, for example we cannot monitor non-RBAir devices; therefore, parent/carer engagement is critical. Parents/carers are responsible for monitoring their learner’s social media and safe internet use. Below are tips and resources to help you support your young person to have safe online interactions outside of RBAir.
Communicate openly
Talk to learners about their online activities and encourage them to share any concerns.
Set boundaries
Establish rules for internet use, including appropriate websites.
Use parental controls
Utilise parental control settings on devices and apps to monitor and restrict access to certain content.
Educate about social media, fake news and AI
Communicate with learners about social media and the risks of fake news and AI, ensure they understand the importance of privacy and the risks of sharing too much information online.
Resources
There are many supportive resources online regarding safe internet use such as: NSPCC online safety workshop (A 40-minute free online safety workshop), ThinkuKnow and BBC Own IT.
Reporting concerns:
If you have any concerns about a young person’s online safety, please contact a member of the RBAir Safeguarding Team (contact details can be found on our Safeguarding page) or visit NSPCC Report Online Concern.
Together, we can create a safe and positive
online experience for our young people.