Staying Safe Online

Today in Year One Computing, our pupils spent time reflecting on the importance of Staying Safe Online, revisiting our #InspiredToLearn SMART code and discussing how it helps us make safe and sensible choices when using the internet.

As always, the children approached this learning thoughtfully and with curiosity, sharing ideas and examples from their own experiences.

Revisiting the SMART Code -

The SMART code helps children remember five key rules for online safety:

• S – Safe: Keep personal information private

• M – Meet: Never meet someone you only know online without a trusted adult

• A – Accepting: Don’t open messages or files from people you don’t know

• R – Reliable: Not everything online is true

• T – Tell: Always tell a trusted adult if something worries you

A Closer Look at R – Reliable

Today, we spent particular time exploring “R – Reliable”, helping children understand that things we see online may not always be real or truthful.

To support this, we looked at an image of our class mate and discussed how pictures can be changed or manipulated. The children noticed how the same photograph could be edited in different ways to tell different stories, even though it was still the same person. This helped them understand that images online can be altered and that we should not always believe what we see straight away.

Through discussion, pupils reflected on:

• How photos can be edited or filtered

• Why someone might change an image

• Why it’s important to check and ask questions rather than believing everything immediately

This was a powerful and age-appropriate way to introduce the idea of critical thinking and digital awareness.

Building Confident, Safe Digital Citizens

Online safety is not a one-off lesson but an ongoing conversation. By regularly revisiting the SMART code and exploring real-world examples, we help children develop confidence, resilience and the understanding that they should always speak to a trusted adult if something doesn’t feel right.

We were incredibly proud of the maturity and insight shown by our Year One pupils during today’s learning and look forward to continuing these important discussions throughout the year.