At Orchard County Primary School and Nursery Unit, we want to ensure the safety of our pupils both inside and outside of the classroom and online. 

The Department for Education states, 'Online safety, in all cases, in schools and elsewhere, remains a paramount concern. Schools play a crucial role in raising awareness of the risks, highlighting the impact of behaviour when engaging with online technologies and educating children and young people about how to act appropriately and stay safe'.

(DENI Circular, Online Safety, December 2016)

Online Safety is paramount to our pupils.  As ‘Digital Natives’, our children are spending an increasing amount of time engaging with online devices, apps and games.  As a school, we play a crucial role in educating children on the responsible use of technology, raising awareness of risks and how to respond to any unwanted behaviour.  It is also vital that all stakeholders are aware of these issues.

In a digital world, our pupils are encouraged to recognise the usefulness of technology in our lives and the opportunities we can avail of to enhance our learning while at the same time learning and experiencing good practice.  We offer lessons across all key stages as well as raising awareness of Online Safety through events such as 'Safer Internet Day' and 'Anti-Bullying Week'.

As a school we are continuously monitoring new developments in the online world, offering up-to-date advice and updating and amending policies.

We encourage parents to take time to look at the useful links provided as appoint of reference for any questions or queries and attend our Online Safety events for parents and pupils.  

Useful links and posters for parents can be found below.