The internet is becoming an increasingly significant part of young people’s lives, and although it is undeniably a great resource for learning, unsafe use can pose risks. At Gloucester Academy, we believe that education is crucial to making sure that our students are able to use the internet safely. On Safer Internet Day, we will continue to teach students about the threats and dangers they may experience while online.

Every year, new statistics demonstrate the risks that unsupervised and unrestricted children face online. Here are some of the most alarming:

• Almost 1 in 4 young people has come across racist or hate messages online.
• Around 1 in 8 has been bullied on social media.
• 1 in 4 children has experienced something upsetting on a social networking site.
• There were more than 12,000 counselling sessions with young people who talked to Childline about online issues in 2017.

Safer Internet Day is a global event that is coordinated in the UK by the UK Internet Safety Centre, a partnership whose mission is “to promote the safe and responsible use of technology for young people”. This year’s campaign is being run with the slogan “Together for a better internet”, a call to action for people to work together and play their part in creating a better internet for everyone, especially younger users.

Although Tuesday is Safer Internet Day, our efforts to ensure the online safety of our students continue throughout the year. All members of staff are involved in encouraging safe online practices, and we are determined to prevent any of our students from being at risk.