Steve Brine MP has visited Merdon Junior School in Chandler’s Ford to discuss online safety with the children in a special assembly.
The event was hosted by Google as part of their Be Internet Legends programme, supporting children, families and schools across the country to stay safer online. The programme – delivered in partnership with Parent Zone has trained over 5 million children across the UK.
Steve joined children at Merdon to hear about the best ways to stay safer and feel more confident online. This included the five pillars of the Be internet Legends programme:
● Be Sharp and Think Before You Share
● Be Alert and Check it’s For Real
● Be Secure and Protect Your Stuff
● Be Kind and Respect Each Other
● Be Brave and When in Doubt, Discuss.
The Be Internet Legends assembly supports media literacy education. Pupils at Merdon Junior School were taught to think critically in online spaces to avoid scams and phishing, how to protect their data and privacy and how to communicate positively and sensitively online.
The Winchester and Chandler’s Ford MP had the opportunity to speak to the children about the importance of being safe online and the dangers of misinformation
An independent evaluation has demonstrated the significant positive impact of Be Internet Legends. Following Google training, children are twice as likely to show an improved understanding of internet safety than those who haven’t received the training.
“We are delighted to visit Merdon Junior School today to help teach children about how to Be Internet Legends.
“By teaching what we believe are the five core areas of online safety, we want to prepare children to have a safe and positive experience online,” said Rosie Luff, Public Policy Manager at Google UK.
“It is essential that children learn to think carefully and critically about what they do and see online. Parent Zone has teamed with Google to teach younger children the essential tools they need to become safe and confident online explorers, helping them be resilient, kind and positive in this digital age”, said Vicki Shotbolt, founder and CEO of Parent Zone.
To bring this future-facing programme to life in your classrooms, you can download the free digital curriculum, including Media Literacy activities, here. The Be Internet Legends Curriculum is easy to plan, deliver and assess, with activity packs and ready-made Google Classroom-integrated lessons.
Pictured: Steve Brine would Merdon Junior School pupils at the Online Safety assembly.
