Online Safety

Helping every student use technology safely, responsibly and positively in school, at home and wherever their digital life takes them.

Top links: Worried? Get help → Report a concern or get support; I am a student → Seven habits that make a real difference; I am a parent or carer → You do not need to be a technology expert.

Safe, informed and confident online

Technology is an important part of learning, communication and everyday life. At The Vyne, online safety is a key part of safeguarding. We help students recognise risk, protect themselves and others, make informed choices and know where to get help if something goes wrong.

Education first

Students learn how to make safe and responsible choices, not simply how to avoid technology.

Safeguarding online

Online concerns are treated as safeguarding concerns and are supported through the school's established safeguarding systems.

Working with families

Parents and carers are given practical guidance and trusted sources that remain useful as apps and platforms change.

Report a concern or get support

Choose the route that best matches the concern. If somebody is in immediate danger, call 999.

Report a concern to The Vyne

Use the school’s Stay Safe Alert form to report a concern about a student’s safety or wellbeing. You can also speak to a trusted member of staff in person, or telephone 01256 473003 and ask to speak to the safeguarding team.

Describe what happened using text and identifying details. Do not send nude or sexual images of anyone under 18 to school as evidence.

For urgent help, do not wait for a school reply. Call 999 for immediate danger. To report a crime that is not an emergency, call 101. For concerns about a child at risk of abuse or neglect, Hampshire Children’s Services can be contacted on 0300 555 1384 (Monday–Thursday, 8.30am–5pm; Friday, 8.30am–4.30pm), or 0300 555 1373 at all other times. Hampshire safeguarding contact information.

Children and young people can also contact Childline on 0800 1111 for support.

Talk to The Vyne

Use the Stay Safe Alert form to report a concern about a student’s safety or wellbeing.

Report to The Vyne

CEOP

Report concerns about online child sexual abuse, grooming or sexual exploitation.

Go to CEOP

Childline

Free, confidential support for children and young people. Telephone 0800 1111 or use Childline online.

Visit Childline

Report Remove

Help for under-18s to report and remove nude or sexual images or videos of themselves online.

Use Report Remove

Report Harmful Content

Support when harmful content has been reported to a platform but the issue has not been resolved.

Get reporting support

Internet Watch Foundation

Report suspected child sexual abuse images or videos online.

Report to IWF

What to do next

If you or your child experiences something upsetting, threatening or unsafe online, use these steps. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 first.

It is never your fault if someone abuses, pressures or blackmails you. You can ask for help even if you have already shared something or replied. Tell a trusted adult as soon as you can; you do not need to complete these steps before asking for help.

Do not respond, retaliate or send money. Threats and blackmail often rely on panic and continued engagement.
Record details safely. Record usernames, profile or webpage links, dates and times, and threatening text if you can do so safely. Only screenshot text messages if no nude or sexual imagery is included. Do not screenshot, download, copy or forward nude or sexual images or videos of anyone under 18, including sending them to school as evidence. If this material is already on a device, seek safeguarding or police advice about handling it; do not make further copies.
Block or mute the account. Use the service's privacy controls to stop further contact where possible.
Report it to the platform. Most major services have tools for harassment, impersonation, harmful content and account abuse.
Tell a trusted adult. Contact school if the issue involves a Vyne student or affects a student's safety or wellbeing.
Use the right specialist service. CEOP is for online sexual abuse, grooming or exploitation. Report Remove helps under-18s report nude or sexual images or videos of themselves online. Follow the service’s instructions; do not download an image to use it.
Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger.

How we teach online safety

Online safety is taught throughout Years 7–11 through our Personal Development programme, Computing and IT, Relationships, Sex and Health Education, assemblies and wider curriculum opportunities. Important themes are revisited as students get older so that the guidance remains relevant to the decisions and risks they are likely to encounter.

Online relationships, communication and consent
Online reputation and digital footprint
Privacy, passwords, account security and scams
Cyberbullying, harassment and harmful communication
Grooming, exploitation, sextortion and inappropriate contact
Sharing images and intimate content
Social media, influencers and persuasive design
Gaming, livestreaming and online communities
Misinformation, manipulated content, AI and deepfakes
Healthy technology use, screen time and digital wellbeing
How to report concerns and where to get help

Online learning at The Vyne

Students use Google Classroom and a range of subject-specific online learning platforms. These include Bedrock for English and Sparx for Maths. Subject leads oversee the platforms used within their subjects and monitor students’ use of them.

These are examples rather than a complete list. If you are unsure about a platform your child has been asked to use, contact the relevant subject teacher or subject lead.

Understanding filtering and monitoring

Filtering

Filtering restricts access to websites and content assessed as unsuitable or harmful. It helps reduce exposure to risk, but cannot block every harmful item or interaction.

Monitoring

Monitoring helps identify concerning online activity so that it can be considered and acted on. It does not mean every activity is watched continuously or every concern will be detected.

Filtering and monitoring support online safety alongside teaching, supervision and clear reporting routes. Students and families should report concerns even if a system has not flagged them. Do not assume school protections apply to personal devices, mobile data or home use. Use the home safety guidance for practical steps outside school.

Seven habits that make a real difference

Help is available, even if you have already shared something. Being abused, pressured or blackmailed is never your fault. Speak to a trusted adult or use the help routes above.

Protect your accounts

Use strong, unique passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication when it is available.

Protect your privacy

Check who can see your posts, location and personal information. Share less, not more.

Think before you send

Messages, images and videos can be copied or shared even when an app says they disappear. If something has already happened, ask for help; you do not have to manage it alone.

Be careful who you trust

People online are not always who they say they are. Never let someone pressure you to share personal details or images.

Question what you see

Images, video, audio and news can be edited or generated by AI. Check the source before believing or sharing it.

Protect others

Respect consent. Never pressure anyone for images or forward humiliating or intimate material. Do not join in harmful group-chat behaviour; tell a trusted adult and report it.

Speak up early

If something online makes you worried, uncomfortable or unsafe, tell a trusted adult. Asking for help is the right thing to do.

You do not need to be a technology expert

The strongest protection combines sensible settings and boundaries with regular, calm conversations about what your child does online.

If your child tells you something has happened

Listen calmly and take them seriously. Avoid blame and reassure them that abuse or blackmail is never their fault, even if they have already shared something. Help them reach a trusted adult or the school’s safeguarding team. Do not ask them to show, download or forward nude or sexual images of an under-18. Use the safe reporting steps.

Talk regularly

Ask which apps, games and services your child uses, what they enjoy and whether anything online has worried or upset them.

Review privacy and safety settings together

Check who can contact them, see their posts and view their location. Revisit settings after major app or phone updates.

Use parental controls

Controls can be applied to home broadband, devices, app stores, games consoles and individual services. Use our parental controls & home internet filtering guides below for direct setup links.

Keep accounts secure

Encourage strong unique passwords and multi-factor authentication. Keep parent/admin passwords private.

Agree healthy boundaries

Discuss device use, purchases, communication with strangers, nighttime routines and where devices are charged overnight.

Stay curious, not just restrictive

If you are worried about an app or game, ask your child to show you how they use it and review its safety tools together.

Keeping families informed: Our weekly school newsletters include online-safety information and advice when needed, helping families stay informed about relevant risks and how to support their children.

Parental controls & home internet filtering

No single setting can protect a child everywhere. The strongest approach uses several layers together: your home broadband filter, controls on the device or games console, and the safety settings built into individual apps and accounts.

      A useful way to think about it:

      1. Home broadband controls filter devices while they use your home internet.

      2. Device and console controls can manage apps, websites, screen time, purchases and communication.

      3. App and account controls manage privacy, contact, content and supervision inside services such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

      4. Conversation and supervision remain essential because no technical control can remove every risk.

Phones, tablets, computers & games consoles

Choose the device your child uses for the manufacturer's current setup instructions.

Apple iPhone & iPad

Use Apple Screen Time and Family Sharing to manage apps and websites, communication, content restrictions and when a device can be used.

Apple parental controls →

Android & Chromebook

Google Family Link can manage apps, screen time, content restrictions, Chrome website access and other supervised-account settings.

Google Family Link →

Windows

Microsoft Family Safety can set screen-time limits and manage apps, games and web access for family members using supported Microsoft services.

Microsoft Family Safety →

Xbox

Xbox Family Settings can manage privacy, online communication, content filters, purchases and screen time.

Xbox family settings →

PlayStation

PlayStation family controls can manage communication, user-generated content, play time, spending and age-appropriate games.

PlayStation parent guide →

Nintendo Switch / Switch 2

Nintendo parental controls can restrict software by age, communication, purchases and — using the app — play time and activity.

Nintendo parental controls →

Social media & video platforms

Many major services now have parent/guardian supervision tools as well as default protections for teenage accounts.

TikTok — Family Pairing

Parents and guardians can link their account to a teen's account to manage safety, privacy, content and wellbeing settings, including screen-time controls.

TikTok Guardian's Guide →

Snapchat — Family Centre

Family Centre provides tools for parents and caregivers of teens aged 13–17. Snapchat explains how to find it directly inside the app.

Snapchat Family Centre →

Instagram, Facebook & Messenger — Meta Family Center

Meta's supervision tools give parents access to teen safety and supervision settings, alongside protections built into Teen Accounts.

Meta Family Center →

YouTube — Supervised accounts

Parents can create supervised YouTube experiences and choose content settings for children who are below the relevant age for an unsupervised account.

YouTube supervision →

Filter your home broadband

Most major UK broadband providers include family-safety or parental-control tools that can filter categories of websites across devices connected to your home broadband. These controls are an important first layer, but they should not be relied on by themselves.

Important: Home broadband filtering normally applies only while a device is using that home internet connection. A phone may bypass it when it switches to mobile data, another Wi-Fi network or certain privacy/network services. For this reason, also use the parental controls on the child's device and accounts.

BT — Parental Controls

BT provides free parental controls for BT Broadband customers, including content filtering, filter levels, schedules and allow/block options.

Set up BT controls →

Sky — Broadband Shield

Sky Broadband Shield can apply web filtering and Safe Search across devices connected to Sky Broadband. Sky also provides additional profile-based controls with supported Wi-Fi products.

Set up Sky Broadband Shield →

Virgin Media — Essential Security parental controls

Virgin Media's broadband controls can block content categories, allow or block individual sites, and apply filtering schedules to devices using the home broadband connection.

Virgin Media controls →

TalkTalk — HomeSafe

TalkTalk HomeSafe includes Kids Safe filtering for categories of websites and additional controls such as Homework Time for devices using the home network.

Set up TalkTalk HomeSafe →

Another broadband provider?

Internet Matters maintains step-by-step parental-control guidance for broadband providers, devices, consoles, search engines, entertainment services and social platforms.

Find your provider or device on Internet Matters →

Recommended family setup: Start with the home broadband filter, then configure the child's phone/tablet or console, then review the privacy and supervision settings inside their most-used apps. Revisit these settings periodically because devices, apps and children's needs change.

Apps, games, devices and parental controls

Apps and games change quickly. These organisations keep their advice updated, so they are more useful than a large collection of static PDF guides.

UK Safer Internet Centre — Parents & Carers

Guidance on devices, games, social media and common online-safety issues.

UK Safer Internet Centre guidance

Internet Matters — Secondary School Online Safety Guide

Age-relevant guidance for families of secondary-age children.

Internet Matters guidance

NSPCC — Online Safety

Advice on social media, sharing images, phones, AI, parental controls and online wellbeing.

NSPCC guidance

CEOP Education

Education resources from the National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team.

CEOP Education resources

What families should be aware of

Risks can involve content we see, contact with people or AI services, our own or others’ conduct, and commerce such as advertising or gambling. The advice below helps families recognise concerns and seek support.

AI, deepfakes and manipulated content

Images, video and audio can be convincingly generated or altered. Students should question authenticity, protect personal images and avoid uploading personal or sensitive data to unapproved AI services.

Sextortion and online blackmail

Do not pay, send more images or continue engaging. Tell a trusted adult promptly; being blackmailed is never your fault. Record usernames, profile or webpage links, dates and times, and threatening text if you can do so safely. Only screenshot text messages if no nude or sexual imagery is included. Do not screenshot, download, copy or forward nude or sexual images or videos of anyone under 18, including sending them to school as evidence. If this material is already on a device, seek safeguarding or police advice about handling it; do not make further copies. Report sexual abuse or exploitation to CEOP. Under-18s can use Report Remove for images of themselves online; follow its instructions without downloading imagery.

Cyberbullying and harassment

Record usernames, profile or webpage links, dates and times, and threatening text if you can do so safely. Only screenshot text messages if no nude or sexual imagery is included. Do not screenshot, download, copy or forward nude or sexual images or videos of anyone under 18, including sending them to school as evidence. If this material is already on a device, seek safeguarding or police advice about handling it; do not make further copies. Block and report harmful accounts, tell a trusted adult and use the school’s Bullying Alert form where appropriate. For threats, sexual abuse or safety concerns, use the safeguarding help routes.

Scams, phishing and account theft

Check links and senders carefully, never share passwords or one-time codes, use multi-factor authentication and report compromised accounts promptly.

Misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories

Some false information is mistaken; some is deliberately created to mislead. Check the original source and compare reliable sources before sharing. Repetition, popularity or a convincing image does not make a claim true. Ask a trusted adult for help if content worries you.

Privacy and location

Limit public personal information, review app permissions and location sharing, and remember that images and posts can reveal more than intended.

AI chatbots and companions

Some AI services imitate friendship or romantic relationships. Their responses can feel personal, but they are not people and may give misleading advice or produce inappropriate interactions. Avoid sharing private or sensitive information. If an interaction causes distress, pressure or discomfort, stop using the service and speak to a trusted adult. Use human support for safety or wellbeing concerns.

Pornography and relationship expectations

Pornography can give unrealistic or harmful messages about bodies, consent and relationships. No one should pressure you to watch or share sexual content. If you see something upsetting or feel pressured, close it and speak to a trusted adult.

Misogyny, racism and discriminatory content

Content that demeans people because of their sex, race, religion, disability or other characteristics can normalise abuse. Do not join in or redistribute it. Report harmful content and speak to a trusted adult if you or someone else is targeted.

Radicalisation and extremist material

Some content or communities try to draw people towards extremist beliefs or violence. If someone encourages hate, secrecy or violence, stop engaging and tell a trusted adult. Use the safeguarding reporting route for concerns and call 999 for immediate danger.

Content encouraging self-harm or suicide

If content encourages self-harm or suicide, leave it and seek support from a trusted adult or Childline. You do not need to manage these feelings alone. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. Do not share harmful content with others.

Online gambling and inappropriate advertising

Betting, gambling-style rewards and persuasive advertising can encourage risky spending or reveal personal information. Avoid age-restricted gambling, check purchases with a parent or carer, and report inappropriate adverts. Seek help if spending or gambling feels difficult to control.

Policies and related information

The latest school policies are kept in the school's policy area so that families always reach the current published version.

Child Protection Policy

Safeguarding Policy

Online Safety Policy

Behaviour for Learning Policy

Relationships, Sex & Health Education Policy

Anti-Bullying Policy

Mobile phone information

Review information and school contacts

Page owner: Online Safety / Safeguarding

Last updated: 9 October 2026

Next review: September 2027

Safeguarding at The Vyne

The Vyne Community School
Vyne Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5PB
01256 473003

enquiries@vyne.hants.sch.uk

Link destinations for implementation

Use these destinations for the corresponding text links. In-page navigation should use section anchors rather than external addresses. Links are listed once per destination.

Contact us

/page/?title=Contact+Us&pid=15

School website

https://www.vyne.hants.sch.uk/

Safeguarding

https://www.vyne.hants.sch.uk/support/safeguarding

999

tel:999

Stay Safe Alert form

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01256 473003

tel:01256473003