Child Safety
St Agatha's is committed to complying with Ministerial Order 1359
Protection of children and young people is based upon the belief that each person is made in the image and likeness of God, and that the inherent dignity of all should be recognised and fostered.
St Agatha's is committed to child protection strategies and procedures to ensure the care, safety and protection of all students at St Agatha's School and safeguarding students against sexual, physical, psychological and emotional abuse and/or neglect.
At St Agatha's the Child Safe Champions are Meegan Blackney (Deputy) and Cath Backhouse (school counsellor).
Keeping Safe Online
Today’s children are growing up in a world of readily accessible technology, often using platforms and tools that did not exist during our own childhoods. Popular services such as Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat and YouTube have a minimum age requirement of 13. (This is currently being reviewed and will likely change to 16 years of age). These guidelines are set to help protect young users. If you decide to allow your child access to social media accounts, we encourage you to set clear boundaries and expectations around their online behaviour for example, “have devices out of bedrooms overnight". In school, we have spoken to students about sharing passwords with a trusted adult to help keep them safe online.
What Can You Do as Parents and Carers?
Establish Ground Rules
- Talk as a family about how the internet will be used in your home. Discuss what personal information should be kept private and set rules around making and meeting online friends.
- Just as you keep an eye on their offline activities, be aware of what your child is doing online.
Promote Online Safety
- Use parental control features on devices such as computers, phones, and gaming consoles to block unsuitable content and contacts. Please note that parental controls are not foolproof, so regular communication with your child is still important.
Supervise Device Use
- Place computers in a family area where you can supervise their usage, and always oversee the use of webcams and devices that allow voice or video chat.
- Monitor your child’s use of other devices that connect to the internet, including mobile phones and gaming consoles.
Open Dialogue
Encourage your child to show you how they use the internet. This is a great opportunity to learn about their online interests and discuss safe and respectful behaviour.
Ensure your child knows how to block or report anyone who sends them inappropriate messages or content. Remind them not to respond to messages that are rude or make them uncomfortable.
Reinforce that if they encounter anything online that makes them feel worried or upset, they should tell a trusted adult.
Remember, banning technology altogether is often ineffective. Instead, educating children on safe internet use and creating a trusted space for them to talk about their experiences will empower them to make safer choices.
In school, we encourage students to follow these Golden Rules for online safety:
- Use a nickname instead of your real name online.
- Keep personal information private and only share it with people you know.
- Stick to websites suitable for your age, remembering that people online are still strangers.
- Treat others with kindness online, just as you would expect to be treated.
- Always tell an adult if you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right.
- Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us ensure that our students are using the internet safely and responsibly. Together, we can create a safer online environment for our children.
Here are some additional resources to support you:
Parent resources | eSafety Commissioner