ONLINE SAFETY
National Online Safety Updates
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Snapchat
Snapchat: Why “Ghost Mode” Matters
Snapchat includes a location‑sharing feature called Snap Map, which allows users to broadcast their real‑time location to friends—or, if not configured correctly, to a much wider audience.
Location updates are precise, often showing the user’s exact building.
Without proper settings, a child’s location may be visible to people they don’t know well, or contacts added casually.
This can increase risks such as unwanted contact, tracking, or sharing personal routines.
Ghost Mode disables location sharing entirely. When it is switched on, your child’s location will not appear on Snap Map to anyone.
Open Snapchat and go to the Snap Map (pinch the screen).
Tap the settings cog in the top-right corner.
Switch on Ghost Mode.
For added safety, choose “Until Turned Off” so it stays active.
Encouraging your child to use Ghost Mode is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect their privacy on Snapchat.
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Discord
Discord is a communication platform used for gaming, chat, and online communities. Students may join servers (group spaces) to talk via text, voice, or video.
Potential risks
Some servers are public, meaning anyone can join and view messages.
Moderation varies widely; some servers have active adult moderators, while others have minimal oversight.
Public forums can expose young people to inappropriate content, unverified “adults”, or pressure to overshare personal information.
Private messages (DMs) can be used to contact users outside moderated spaces.
How moderation works on Discord
Discord provides tools such as AutoMod, content filters, and safety scanning.
However, these tools are only effective if server owners choose to enable them.
Many user-run servers rely on volunteer moderators, so standards can differ significantly.
How to check if a server is public or private
You can sit with your child and look together:
Open Discord and navigate to the server name.
Click the server name → Server Settings (if you have access) or Server Info.
Look for:
“Community Server” or “Public Server” badges → these are discoverable.
“Invite-only” indicators → these are private.
If your child can generate an invite link, that means the server is not restricted.
Steps to improve safety
Turn on Direct Message Filtering:
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → “Keep Me Safe”
Disable DMs from new servers:
User Settings → Privacy & Safety → “Allow direct messages from server members” → Off
Encourage your child to only join servers run by people they know.
How You Can Support Your Child
Have regular conversations about what apps they use.
Encourage open dialogue so they feel comfortable reporting anything that feels unsafe.
Remind them never to share personal information (full name, school, location, phone number).
If your child encounters concerning behaviour, you can report it within the app or contact the school for advice.
Supporting children at different ages with their use of technology
Internet Matters: What parents need to know about AI
SPEAK OUT
SPEAK OUT
If you are worried and feel unsafe or with to talk to a child safety officer, Speak Out.
CEOP INTERNET SAFETY
Safeguarding Soundbites
INEQE Safeguarding Group believe in empowering people to stay safer through education and the use of innovative technology.
We are members of the Safeguarding support network, which lists safeguarding providers on a global scale and the Safety Tech Network, which lists organisations that work to promote safer online experiences.
Click to listen to more podcasts from INEQE here
Or listen below:
A Beginners Guide To Deepfakes
This mini-podcast highlights ongoing online safeguarding issues. Please give it a listen!
Click the sub-headings below to explore advice and guidance on how to stay safe online.
Online Dangers: Keeping Up
Keeping up with the latest apps and crazes with social media and messaging applications can be very difficult. WGA is collaborating with both the Ineque Safety Group (who provide the Safer Schools app) and National Online Safety to ensure that parents and carers from our community have access to the latest information. The Safer Schools App can be downloaded from Google Play and the Apple Store for use on mobile devices. If you do not have the parent code to access the app, please contact digihelp@woodgreenacademy.co.uk
Ineque Safety Group have a catalogue of short soundbite podcasts (usually about 60 second long) that provide easy to follow updates regarding all issues to do with online safety. National Online Safety issue regular poster style information notices relating to current and ongoing online topics from social media to gaming trends that parents and carers need to be aware of. Both of these resources can be accessed from this page.
Communicating Safely
Whether through a social network site such as Facebook, or the latest messaging application (Whatsapp, Snapchat etc.) it is incredibly easy to share with other people online. Unfortunately, there is always a minority who will want to use the information shared online to exploit or bully others in some way.
What can you do?
Nothing is more important than knowing what your child is doing online and how they use chat, instant messaging, blogs, forums & social networking sites. Professionals in this sector advise trying to set up some rules which you are all agreed on. Also, make sure that your child is happy with how to protect themselves when online and what they should do if they feel at risk.
Don’t panic if you’re not quite sure on how to approach a conversation about online safety. There is lots of help and support for parents, carers and children, from trusted providers. CEOP’s Think-U_Know website is full of useful tips and advice, including how to start a conversation with your child, as well as resources that you can read and watch with your child to support any online safety discussion at home. Follow the relevant links at CEOP Education for more information.
We also recommend the NSPCCs resources for supporting parents and carers with online safety which can be found on this link.
I want to block these sites!
If you are convinced that there is no alternative, you can install filtering software but be careful, there are often ways around these and your child may feel they have to hide what they are doing from you.
GetNetWise has a list of programs and information on how you can protect your children AND your computer. Top Ten Reviews has a side by side comparison of filtering software.
There’s something nasty on…
If you have come across bullying or other inappropriate content on a site then you should report it to the site itself. Most popular social networking sites and messaging applications have ways a user can report. If it’s a bit more serious than that, you can report it to CEOP or the police if someone is in immediate danger. You can find out more about CEOP below.
Managing the information placed in a social network is essential: avoid unnecessary information being placed online. Choosing appropriate security settings is also very important. Make sure that only ‘real friends’ from the ‘real world’ can interact or see information from the users account.
Online Safety Content
Useful Websites
CEOP Police
https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/
NSPCC – Online Safety
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
Childnet
https://www.childnet.com/sorted/
BBC Newsround
Advice and Tips on staying safe online
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/13910067
CEOP Education
Internet Matters
Childnet:
www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/
Ineque group:
UK Safer Internet Centre
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk
UK Safer Internet Centre – Parent Controls
Parental Controls offered by your home internet provider
Downloads
Social Media Guidance
Snapchat
Snapchat – Ghost Mode (managing the visibility of your location)
Play Staton 4
Play Station 4 Privacy Settings
X-Box
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about gaming streamers and influencers
Wood Green Academy is an 11-19 over-subscribed National Support School specialising in Sport, Maths and Computing.
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- Wood Green Road
- Wednesbury
- West Midlands
- WS10 9QU
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- Email: admin@woodgreenacademy.co.uk
- Media Enquiries: communications@woodgreenacad.co.uk