Pupils at Cottam Primary School have access to a range of online materials that enrich and extend teaching and learning opportunities. The benefits to teaching and learning are many and varied. Pupils will be given clear objectives for Internet use and will access material under guidance from their class teacher. Teachers will supervise pupils and take all reasonable precautions to ensure that users only access material appropriate to their learning.

Cottam pupils are taught to use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private. Pupils are taught to identify where to go for help and support, and when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

We believe in working closely with our parents to support pupils in developing safe practice when using online technology. 

National Online Safety 

Cottam Primary School have shown our commitment to protecting our pupils online by working with National Online Safety- providing resources for all parents and carers. 

The resources include Parents & Carers courses (presented by Myleene Klass), online video resources and weekly guides covering a huge range of topics, including:

You can access National Online Safety online via any device- including via our brand-new smartphone app. To download the app, please go to:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/national-online-safety/id1530342372

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.nationaleducationgroup.nos

Alternatively, search for ‘National Online Safety’ in the App Store/Google Play Store.

Filtering and Monitoring at Cottam Primary School

The school uses a filtering system called Netsweeper which is provided via Lancashire County Council. This runs on all devices in school to ensure pupils can only access age-appropriate content online. This works differently dependant on the device:

Windows based devices

All Microsoft Windows based devices run the ‘Netsweeper WAgent’ detection software. This detects which user is currently logged in and applies the correct filtering level of content based on which group the user has been assigned. For example, when a staff member logs in to a device, they receive a slightly less restrictive profile (while still blocking unsafe content). A pupil who logs in to the same device however will have the highest level of filtering applied. This means the same device can safely be used by both staff and pupils, with filtering automatically adjusting based on the user.

iPads

As iPads are shared devices and not usually ‘signed in to’ by a user, we have a different method of tracking online content. For these we utilise a ‘captive portal’. When a user opens a web browser on an iPad, they are prompted to enter their Microsoft Windows username and password. Once authenticated, the correct filtering profile is applied (just like on a Windows device). This login lasts for around 45-60 minutes before requiring the user to re-enter their credentials. This is due to the nature of iPads being easily shareable, so enforcing re-authentication is a good way to ensure the current user can still be filtered effectively.

OnGuard and Reporting

In addition to web filtering, the school also uses Netsweeper OnGuard for safeguarding monitoring. This monitors activity across all applications on school devices rather than just web browsing. If certain high-risk words or phrases are typed (for example in a web-search, email, or document etc), all designated safeguarding staff are alerted immediately. These alerts provide information of the device, user and a screenshot of what the user was viewing at the time. At this juncture, safeguarding staff can make a decision on the intent of the alert and address it accordingly. The monitoring logs this data even if the device is offline, with information syncing once it reconnects. The policies also remain active if devices are used off-site.

Netsweeper provides weekly filtering reports which are sent to safeguarding leads for review. The filtering system is routinely checked against national safeguarding standards (including SWGfL guidance) to ensure it meets current UK online safety requirements for schools. In totality, the school provides a very robust and thorough filtering solution to ensure the safety of the pupils when using technology in school.