Safer Online Gaming over the Summer: Template Letter for Parents/Carers

As the Summer holidays approach, many children and young people may be looking forward to having more free time to spend playing games online. Recently online gaming has received increased media attention relating to children playing age unsuitable content and the need to manage screen time. Educational settings may find this to be an ideal time to highlight some simple online safety tips to help parents/carers balance their children’s time online with offline fun as well.

To help support educational settings, the Education Safeguarding Adviser (Online Protection) created a template letter that Designated Safeguarding Leads, Headteachers or Managers may wish to adapt and share with their communities.

• Summer gaming letter - July 2018

The letter is based around three top tips; make gaming family friendly, be ‘share aware’ and manage screen time.

Settings may wish to use the letter in its entirely or may choose to share specific extracts within their regular end of term communications such as emails, newsletters etc.

For more general online safety messages, educational settings may also find the Summer 2017 letter useful.

Other additional links that schools may find helpful to share with parents/carers include:

• Internet Matters: 
  • #Screensafe summer tips
  • Online Gaming
  • Online gaming top tips
• Childnet:
  • Staying Safe Online this Summer
  • ‘But everyone else is playing it! – How do I decide if a game is right for me child?’
  • Online Gaming - an introduction for parents
• UK Safer Internet Centre:
  • Get creative with technology this summer
  • Survive the Tech Summer Holidays
• Think U Know:
  • Gaming: What parents and carers need to know
  • Gaming - what's appropriate for your child?
• NSPCC: Online games: helping children to play safe
• FOSI: Online Safety Guides

We hope all of our subscribers have a wonderful summer!