Dear Parents/Carers of children in Year 6,
As you will know, it is very tricky to keep clear tabs on what your children are doing on their phones and computers when you are not there. I have teenagers myself and know how hard this can be.
It has come to light today that many children in Year 6 are part of different groups connected to Whatsapp, Instagram, Tik Tok etc. One of the main reasons that the age limit for these apps is 13, is due to the fact that many children in Primary school have not got the maturity to deal with what can take place on these platforms. We have evidence of misuse happening within our Year 6 cohorts, with unfortunately inappropriate comments being made and children blocking and making other children feeling isolated etc.
We believe there is a bit of a vicious circle now with some children saying to parents, ‘they started it, so I said something back…’. Again, a clear reason why we need to ensure children are not using apps such as these, until they are old enough to do so without things escalating.
We continually speak to children across school about safe use of devices, but alas what they do out of school is beyond our control. I have spoken to both classes this afternoon about the importance of correct use of apps, being kind and showing respect both in person, but also virtually. The vast majority of children admitted they were using these apps and I guess that is the problem. They will tell you, ‘Everyone else uses them, so why can’t I?’ We need your support in this matter as we cannot remove this issue on our own.
Please can we ask you to –
- Remove apps that are not linked to their age group. If everyone does this, it would make it a lot easier and fairer as far as the children are concerned. I have told them they need to concentrate on school and getting ready for Secondary school and that the content of these apps is putting other children off.
- Regularly hold discussions with your children about what they do online and what to do if they are upset by anything.
- Check for yourself what they are doing online and support where necessary.
We cannot control what happens at home, but we will do all we can to influence your child’s behaviour online.
If you have any concerns, do let us know and we will do what we can to support from school.
Can we also ask you to remind your child that if they bring their phone to school (because they travel without an adult), it must be switched off and away when they enter the grounds and passed to their teacher for safe keeping in the office until home time. This is a safeguarding issue and part of our school policy. I have explained this to the children again this afternoon.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Miss Cook
Headteacher
