Just the visit this Oldham school was searching for

A primary school in Oldham has had just the visit they were searching for.

A team from web giant Google went to see pupils at Freehold Community Primary Academy on Sidmouth Street, to help teach kids how to stay safe online.

Last year, Google found that teachers believe children should start learning about online safety as early as the age of seven and that the vast majority felt that this should be a part of the curriculum.

To help teachers educate their pupils about staying safe online, Google launched Be Internet Legends in partnership with family internet safety experts Parent Zone, and is accredited by the PSHE association.

Be Internet Legends is an educational programme aimed at 7 - 11-year-olds to help them be safe, confident explorers of the online world.

It works through online platforms, teaching resources, face-to-face workshops and assemblies, and free training resources to over 19,000 UK teachers.

It consists of five key pillars, which children in Oldham were taught - to help them learn the essentials of how to stay safe online:

• Be “internet sharp” – think before you share
• Be “internet alert” – check it’s for real
• Be “internet secure” – protect your stuff
• Be “internet kind” – respect each other
• Be “internet brave” – when in doubt, discuss

The youngsters were also shown Interland – a fun-filled adventure game to make learning about online safety fun and informative.

Children learn about avoiding hackers, phishers and bullies practising the skills learnt with the programme.

Rosie Luff, online safety public policy manager at Google said: “We are delighted to visit Freehold Community Primary Academy today to help teach children about how to Be Internet Legends.

"By getting acquainted with what we believe are the five core areas of online safety, we want to prepare children to have a safe and positive experience online.”

Vicki Shotbolt, founder and CEO of Parent Zone, added: “It is important that from a young age, children learn to think carefully and critically about what they see and do online.

"Parent Zone teamed with Google to create the Be Internet Legends assembly and educational resources, to teach 7-to-11 year-olds ways to be more secure, to think about how they treat others and to share more carefully.

"It also shows them how to spot scams and unkind behaviour, and how to respond if they do.

"These skills will help children be safer and more confident online."