What is safer internet day?
Safer Internet Day 2024 takes place on 6th February 2024 and is an annual celebration of online safety.
The 2024 theme is ‘Inspiring, change? Making a difference, managing influence and navigating online’. The focus will be:
- Young people’s perspective on new and emerging technology
- Using the internet to make change for the better
- The changes young people want to see online
- The things that can influence and change the way young people think, feel and act online and offline
Safer internet day is coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees thousands of organisations get involved to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.
UK Safer Internet Centre Education Resources
Free to download, these engaging education resources are tailored for 3-18 year olds and are designed to support educators in delivering messages about the campaign theme of change online.
Tailored for each key stage, you will find a range of quick activities to choose from including short interactive stories, worksheets, group discussions, assemblies, with supporting slides. You will also find activities designed for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
Download the Resource
Get involved on social media
Share how your school is getting involved using #SaferInternetDay and tag @UK_SIC.
LGfL Resources to support schools
To support schools with their Safer internet day activities LGfL will be publishing the following:
- A downloadable board game for Key Stage 2 pupils to use to explore online safety and have lots of fun while doing so!
- An outline of how to make a pupil-led film to share and use with parents to inspire and engage them in helping to keep children safe online at home, along with a fab example of this.
Teaching Resources for Safer Internet Day
Andersen Press and Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) have created some fantastic resources to help schools use books to discuss screen time, online safety, cyber bullying and the dangers of social media.
The resources are based on the series of hilarious cautionary tales for a new generation of young internet-users from the prize-winning partnership of Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross:
Chicken Clicking
Troll Stinks
#Goldilocks
Old Macdonald Had a Phone
Top tips for staying secure online
The National Cyber Security Centre have provided these top tips to ensure you are doing all you can to stay secure online.
Top Tip 1
Protect your email by using a strong and separate password
Cyber criminals can use your email to access many of your personal accounts, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft.
Top Tip 2
Install the latest software and app updates
Software and app updates contain vital security updates to help protect your devices from cyber criminals.
Top Tip 3
Turn on 2-step verification (2SV)
2-step verification is recommended to help protect your online accounts.
Top Tip 4
Password managers: how they help you secure passwords
Using a password manager can help you create and remember passwords.
Top Tip 5
Backing up your data
Safeguard your most important data, such as your photos and key documents, by backing them up to an external hard drive or a cloud-based storage system.
Top Tip 6
Three random words
Use three random words to create a password that’s difficult to crack.
Top Tip 7
Strong and separate password
Use a strong and separate password for your email.
Resources to support conversations with neurodiverse young people
These resources provide topics and suggestions for starting and having discussions with neurodiverse young people about their online experiences. Click on the image to download the resource.
