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Parent guide to Free School Meal Vouchers
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NEW* Roblox Guide
Wed 07 Sep 2022Roblox is one of the most popular video games on the market. By 2020, the game’s makers were claiming that more than half of children in the USA play it. As a ‘sandbox’ title, Roblox offers a huge amount of creative freedom: it lets players create their own gaming experiences with the Roblox Studio to build custom levels and games, which can then be shared with other players online. Roblox fosters creative thinking and enjoys a robust online community of fans.
In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as online daters, in-app purchases and contact with strangers.
>>Roblox Guide<<
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NEW* Eid Party Photographs
Mon 11 Jul 2022A massive thank you to everyone who joined us today for our Eid party/picnic. It was wonderful to see so many families joining in, enjoying the summer sunshine and coming together as part of the Lever Edge Community!
There are lots of super photographs of the event on our school website for you to enjoy looking at - just follow the link: https://www.leveredgeprimaryacademy.co.uk/eid-party/ -
NEW* Minecraft Parents Guide
Thu 30 Jun 2022Minecraft is a beloved classic of modern gaming. First released in 2011, this open-ended ‘sandbox’ game of building and exploration still has over 140 million players who happily return to play it at least once every month. Minecraft has also been utilised for much more than just entertainment: it’s sometimes used in schools to teach children coding, and it's also employed as a tool for computer-aided design, which is another valuable skill. Encouraging creativity and problem solving, Minecraft has plenty to offer gamers of all ages, and it's available on almost all video game platforms.
>>Minecraft Guide<<
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NEW* E-Sports Parents Guide
Thu 23 Jun 2022British Esports describes ‘esports’ as “competitive gaming, human-v-human, usually with a spectator element to it”. In recent years, the esports industry has grown significantly – and is expected to reach an overall worth of $1.2 billion, with around 30 million monthly viewers, by the end of 2022. This rapid evolution has presented even more opportunities … but, of course, opportunities usually come with a risk. Here, we’ve highlighted some of the potential hazards within the esports industry and suggested ways to help young people stay safe so they can make the most of this exciting space.
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NEW* Twitch Parents Guide
Wed 15 Jun 2022Twitch is a livestreaming service which tends to focus on gaming. Users can publicly broadcast their gameplay and commentary online for other users to watch. It's a community-driven platform where viewers can support their favourite streamers’ channels through PayPal donations, "Bits" and more. Each streamer or group creates their own community for fans to interact with each other. Twitch has more than 15 million daily active users and includes non-gaming topics such as music, cooking and art. Anyone can create a channel to livestream or watch videos.
In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as inappropriate content, private chat rooms and strangers.
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NEW* Metaverse Guide
Wed 08 Jun 2022‘Metaverse’ is a relatively new term to many, however the concept has been around for some time. Videogames, for example, use many aspects of the metaverse; avatars, digital currency, mini-games, and open communication. A metaverse can also take many forms; Fortnite can be seen as a metaverse, as is Roblox. Put simply, a metaverse is an online environment where people interact, play games and express themselves. Away from traditional videogames, there are newer and more ‘dedicated’ metaverses such as Decentraland, The Sandbox and Somnium Space which are akin to Second Life.
In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as anonymity, psychological impact and unsafe areas.
>>Metaverse Guide<<
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NEW* Toddlers & Screen Time Guide
Thu 26 May 2022The toddler years are full of excitement, exploration and energy. It’s a critical time in children’s development, when brain connections are rapidly forming. Youngsters often begin to discover devices around this age, as they learn to communicate with friends, play games and watch videos (Ofcom recently found, for example, that one in five 3–4-year-olds in the UK uses social media). These activities can make a child happy and relaxed but have a damaging impact if overused. Setting screen time limits for toddlers can be a challenge, so we’ve pulled together some suggestions for making sure your little one is interacting with the online world in a safe, healthy way.
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NEW* 10 Top Tips for Under 5's Online Safety
Wed 11 May 2022According to Ofcom’s most recent research, a significant proportion of children are already online by the time they start school, with 17% of 5-year-olds owning their own mobile phone and 50% using messaging platforms. As becoming familiar with technology is generally encouraged in younger children – and has been essential for education during the pandemic – it is essential that trusted adults recognise both the benefits and the risks of infants and toddlers going online. We’ve compiled our top tips to help the under-5s start their online safety journey.
In the guide, you'll find tips such as managing screen time, block in-app purchases and using devices together.
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NEW* Group Chat Safety Guide
Wed 27 Apr 2022Occurring through messaging apps, on social media and in online games, group chats are among the most popular ways that young people engage with their peers online. Involving, by definition, three or more individuals, these groups allow users to send messages, images and videos to everyone in one place. While they are useful for helping friends, people with shared interests or members of a club to communicate and coordinate activities, they can also leave young people feeling excluded and bullied – as well as providing opportunities for inappropriate content to be shared and viewed.
In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as bullying, inappropriate content and unknown members.
>>Group Chat Guide<<
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NEW* Phone Scams Guide
Mon 28 Mar 2022In a three-month period during 2021, no fewer than 45 million people in the UK experienced a suspicious attempt at being contacted via their mobile. Phone scams are a common form of cyber-attack where fraudsters engage directly with their intended victim through their smartphone. As our phones carry so many sensitive (and therefore potentially valuable) details about us, it’s vital that trusted adults are alert to the tactics that scammers use to get access to user accounts, personal data and private information for financial gain.
In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as sim hacking, smishing and impersonation.