17 July 2026
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Dear parents/carers
During 6 weeks’ break, young people may have more unsupervised time. We would therefore like to remind you of some important messages that will have already been shared.
Online harm
Whilst the internet is a great tool for so many reasons, it can also pose significant risk to young people. We would like to remind you, once again, of these.
You should particularly be aware of the risk of:
- your child seeing offensive images and messages;
- the presence of strangers who may be there to 'groom' young people;
- your child being encouraged to participate in dangerous online challenges or harmful activities
- cyberbullying (bullying using digital technology)
- identity theft and other scams
You will know from our ICT Acceptable Use policy that the school uses a monitoring system that monitors the language used, the keywords searched and the sites that students access or attempt to access whilst using any school device, whether in school or at home.
Under normal circumstances, this is only monitored by school staff during term time and throughout the school day.
We, therefore, would like to remind you of the responsibility that parents and carers have, and the crucial role they should play in discussions regarding internet safety and in monitoring their child’s online activity outside of school hours and throughout the holidays.
The link below will take you to some practical advice from the NSPCC.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/social-media-and-online-safety
Furthermore, Ofcom has developed a guide to support parents/carers in helping their children to be safer online.
Water danger
In view of the tragic loss of young lives to drowning in the recent bouts hot weather, West Midlands Fire Service has asked us to share the following:
https://www.wmfs.net/safety/water-safety/
Please remind your children that cold water shock can kill, even on hot days, and to only swim in designated areas where lifeguards are present.
Rail safety
Please remind your child that the railway is never a safe place to explore or take shortcuts. Whether it's retrieving a dropped item, crossing the tracks or other activities, accessing the railway is extremely dangerous and never worth the risk.
Encourage your child to stay away from the tracks, use designated crossings and ask railway staff for help if something is dropped onto the railway.
Developing independence
Many young people will be spending significant time unsupervised by an adult, in or outside of the home this summer. Would your child know what to do in an emergency and how to summon assistance from emergency services? Would your child still be able to make contact with you or other family member/trusted friend if their phone was lost or stolen? Taking time to talk through different scenarios together and considering safety planning will help your child feel more confident and prepared.
Safeguarding young people
If you are worried that your child or another young person may be at risk of significant harm or that a crime has been committed, you must contact the police immediately.
Kind regards
M.A. Nutt
Assistant Principal
