During the Spring Term, 2024, Carcroft Change Makers worked collaboratively to develop the ‘Carcroft Pledge’. We can’t wait to share this with whole school during our Summer Term!
Category : Curriculum
Online Safety
Our pupils are growing up in a world of ever-changing technology. While we feel that the use of technology is a largely positive aspect of modern life, we cannot ignore the risks that can be associated.
Throughout school we aim to teach children:
- about the impact of cyber-bullying and what to do if they have been affected.
- to be vigilant when communicating online recognising that people may not always be who they say they are and to be sensible about what they share.
- to tell an adult they trust if something is upsetting them.
- to question the reliability of information given through a web based source.
- to search responsibly for information while using internet browsers.
We understand that much of our pupil’s use of the internet will occur at home, away from the school filters.
Below are a list of useful websites, advice and resources that you may find helpful when navigating the issue of online safety with your child. At the bottom of this page are resources that your child can directly access as well to help them learn about online safety.
Useful resources and links
Thinkuknow http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. Since 2006, it aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them.
Internet Matters https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/esafety-leaflets-resources/
A comprehensive web resource with a wide array of tips and advice on how to navigate the online world with your child. Some of their guidance we attach below but you can find even more by visiting the link.
National Online Safety https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/
National Online Safety’s mission is to make the internet a safer place for children. They aim to do this by equipping school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise. The link above provides up to date information about a wide variety of social media apps and platforms your child might be using.
NSPCC http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
The NSPCC are the first to admit that the internet is amazing. Children can play, learn, create and connect – opening up a whole world of exciting possibilities. But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child’s staying safe? That’s where the NSPCC come in. Whether you’re an online expert or you’re not sure where to start, their tools and advice will help you keep your child safe.
Childnet http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
Childnet International is a registered UK charity that aims to make the internet a safe place for children and young people. Packed with resources it is a great resource for parents.
CEOP http://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) is part of the National Crime Agency and their website can be used to report if you are worried about online abuse or the way someone is communicating online.
BBC https://www.bbc.com/ownit
The BBC have a website and app called Own It. The website has a lot of content for children to help them navigate their online lives, and the free smartphone app comes with a special keyboard which can intervene with help and support in the moments that children need it the most.
SafetoNet https://safetonet.com/
SafeToNet is technology that educates children “in-the-moment” as they use their device. It is a safeguarding assistant that helps them become responsible and safe digital citizens. Its power lies in a smart keyboard that detects risks in real-time. It steers children away from trouble by filtering harmful outgoing messages before they can be sent and any damage can be done.
A guide to Apps & Social Media
The number of apps and social media channels your child could be exposed to grow all the time, as does an app’s functionality. We recommend you visit Net Aware to read the latest and most current advice on over 70 apps to ensure you know what they do, how you can limit their features as well as recommended age restrictions.
The apps included are:
- Fortnite
- Snapchat
- YouTube
- Minecraft
- Clash of Clans & Clash Royale
- Kik
- Friv
- Dubsmash
- Wink
- YOLO
- TikTok
- And many, many more
Resources for children to use
Below are some links that children themselves can access for help when navigating the tricky subject of online safety,
Reception – Year 2
Below are a number of links that are tailored for children in the younger year groups.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/
https://www.netsmartzkids.org/
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin
Year 3 – Year 6
Below are links more suitable for older children.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
https://www.nsteens.org/
Bringing Prehistory to Life with Liz Million
Today, we had the exciting opportunity to work with author and illustrator Liz Million! Drawing inspiration from the prehistoric world, we explored the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. With Liz’s expert guidance, we brought ancient landscapes to life, creating cartoon illustrations of a prehistoric volcano erupting in the age of dinosaurs. This hands-on experience not only enriched our learning in science and history but also sparked our creativity and imagination.
Dangers in The Mine
Crew Hamill deepened their understanding on the early conditions of the mine from last lesson by exploring the dangers that people faced due to these conditions. To begin with, we looked at some artefacts that would have been used within the mine (helmet, gloves, pickaxe etc.) and discussed what these told us about working in a mine (e.g you could hit your head, get blisters on your hands, be injured by the pickaxe). We then worked in mini crews to create freeze frames of some mining situations that all involved a danger. Can you guess what these are from our photos?
Following this, we worked in threes to conduct interviews in which one of us was a miner in a given scenario and the others asked questions about the dangers. You can see some of our interviews here:
To consolidate our learning, we created a ‘wall of dangers’ by each writing a danger on a brick.
Feature Finding
Today, Crew Hamill had their second experience lesson in which they were identifying the features of a non-chronological report. We worked as a crew to look at an example report, sharing ideas about what we noticed – the title, paragraphs and pictures etc. We then looked at a ‘non-chronological report checklist’ and used this to identify further features such as subheadings and an introduction. Once we were comfortable that we understood the features, we worked in pairs to organise a non-chronological report that had been jumbled up. We had to work out which subheading matched which paragraph, identify the title, introduction and conclusion, and then figure out which order we would put the information in before deciding where the pictures would go. Once we had done this, we labelled each of the features and explained why they were important. To consolidate our learning, we played ‘checklist challenge’ in which we had 3 minutes to write down as many features as we could remember before seeing who had remembered the most!
Sensory Circuit
After a lovely weekend off, Crew Haddock started the morning with sensory circuit .
Xp Outdoors
Crew Haddock had a lovely time in our forest area this week , building dens and going on the hammock.
Uses of rivers
Today, we looked at the different ways in which we use rivers. We first started by exploring the rivers and canals that flow through Doncaster. This included the River Don, Stainforth and Keadby and New Junction Canals. We recognised a couple of the photos which were taken in Doncaster. Then we looked at the uses of rivers and canals. We found that we can use rivers for transportation, leisure, irrigation, hydroelectric power, drinking water, habitats and ecosystems, and fishing. We then matched the use to the impact that it can have on the environment. Some of them had both positive and negative impacts on the environment. For example, people who use rivers for leisure activities such as kayaking and canoeing are improving their physical and mental health but they could pollute the waters and destroy habitats.
Memory Jars
Lovely afternoon making memory jars. The child wrote down 6 memories and then linked each memory to a colour. Next, they put 6 piles of salt on each memory and coloured the salt. They poured it into their jars so that they could keep their memories with them.
Early Conditions in the Mine
During today’s lesson, Crew Hamill had the opportunity to experience a mining tunnel for themselves. Using tables and dark material, we recreated what a tunnel might look like. We turned out the lights to make things darker and played a coal mine soundscape to mimic the sounds of the mine. One at a time, we made our way through the tunnel, experiencing the dark, cramped and noisy conditions. We then had a small debrief explaining how we felt – lots of us were claustrophobic! Following this, we played true or false and moved to the side of the room that we felt was appropriate when presented with different facts about mining. If we agreed and thought they were true we went to one side, if we disagreed and thought they were false then we went to the other. To further demonstrate our learning, we read some fact sheets about life in the mine and created chotting sheets in mini crews that detailed the early conditions.
Tectonic Plates – Chotting
Today in writing, we have continued to build our knowledge about tectonic plates in preparation for when we write our next plot point. We watched some videos and chotted down loads of facts to support us in writing.
We then did a shared write which allowed Miss Shields to model how to put the facts into sentences.
Weather predictions in Crew Marsh
Today the children in Crew Marsh took it in turns in their mini crews to present the weather to the rest of their crew. They made sure they each had a role to play and used their knowledge of the weather symbols to then present their predictions.
