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Join us to find out how teachers can maintain the reputation of the school and themselves on social media

These stories have hit the headlines because inappropriate teacher behaviour has been exposed via social media.

However social media exposes teachers to being on the receiving end too, with less attention grabbing stories of teachers being bullied by parents via Twitter, or pupils exploiting Facebook to create fake teachers accounts. Using social media can be a digital minefield for school staff.

The Teachers’ Standards 2012 state that teachers, including headteachers, should maintain public trust in the teaching profession as part of their professional duties. The online reputation of the school is also an important consideration. While the issues of personal use of social media can be addressed with a staff code of conduct, it is important that teachers understand how to implement good practice and the implications of not doing.

So, with social media being a progressively integral part of everyday life and also having the potential to be an effective communication tool in education, what steps can be taken to ensure online actions protect both the reputation of the teacher and indeed the school?

Digital reputation webinar
Hosted by social media expert, Steve Phillip from Linked2Success, this informative session will help protect teachers online. It will also show teachers how to use their online activity for career development.

The webinar will discuss:

Recognising how visible you are on social media and what others might find when they Google you or your school.

How to mitigate risk to your online reputation and understanding what constitutes risk.

Managing your privacy settings on social media and restricting who can see your activity.

How to engage with online conversations and respond to negative comments and posts.

How to promote your brand profile positively to position your expertise and win friends and influence people.

Please note, teachers should always adhere to their own school AUP when using social media.

The webinar takes place on Monday 10th July at 4pm and will last approximately 40 minutes, with time for Q&A after the main presentation - Register for the digital reputation webinar

If you have registered for the webinar and have a specific question that you would like Steve to address on the day, please email in advance to tina@e-safetysupport.com

Enter our video competition for a chance to win a free year of Premium Plus membership to E-safety Support

We've had some fantastic feedback from our members since we launched and would love to hear your thoughts. Simply send us a short video of yourself and tell us how E-safety Support has helped in your school.

It may be that you have utilised the classroom resources to engage your pupils on the topic, or perhaps you have saved money by embedding the online staff training courses as part of your schools CPD - if E-safety Support has benefited your school, we'd love to share your experience with other teachers.

You don't need professional filming equipment to enter - your webcam or smartphone will be just fine. Once you have made your video, email competition@e-safetysupport.com. The closing date is 18th July 2017.

By entering the competition, you will be in with a chance of winning a free year of Premium Plus membership and the winning entries will be filmed professionally.

Good luck and we look forward to receiving your entry.

Competition Terms

This competition is open to schools and youth organisations in the UK and schools overseas. You do not have to be a member of E-safety Support to enter.

Entries must be received by midnight on 14th July 2017 to be entered into the competition.

Each video must be a maximum of 2 minutes in duration.

By submitting an entry, you agree for the video to be used on the E-safety Support website as well as on social media platforms. Your school name (but no names of staff of pupils) may also be included on these platforms.

There are 2 categories, Best Primary School Video, Best Secondary School Video.

A winner will be chosen from each category and announced on 18th July 2017. If you are a winner, we will endeavour to contact you by phone and email on the same day prior to announcement. However, if we are unable to contact you, we will still announce the winning entries on the 18th July 2017.

If you are chosen as a winner, you will be given 1 years free Premium Plus membership to E-safety Support for your school. If you are already a member, the free year will be added to the end of your current membership period. Alternatively, you may choose to nominate another school to receive your prize.

Each of the category winners will also be filmed professionally after the closing date - this will be co-ordinated by E-safety Support and the video will be used in marketing promotions.

For winner’s details please send an email to: competition@e-safetysupport.com within 28 days of the draw date.

By entering the free prize draw, entrants agree to be bound by the rules and by any other requirements set out in promotional material.

CSE remains woefully under reported and many victims are unaware they are being exploited

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE for short) is a type of child abuse which occurs when a young person is encouraged, or forced, to take part in sexual activity in exchange for a ‘reward’ which can either be emotional or a physical gift, such as money or alcohol. Whilst some children are considered more at risk, CSE can happen to any child from any race, community or background and the exploitation can happen both online and offline.

The last 10 years have seen CSE hit the headlines with the prosecution of gangs in Rotherham, Rochdale and Oxford but only last month, the NSPCC warned that the CSE still remains woefully under reported.

Whilst children can be targeted at any age, teenagers are notably most vulnerable, particularly between the ages of 13 and 15 when they are learning to become young adults. This can be an emotional time when they are easily influenced, want to fit in with a crowd or may crave attention or recognition. With offenders using manipulative tactics, many child victims are unaware they are being groomed or exploited. Groomers can give them access to alcohol and drugs and make them feel grown up, which makes them feel they are choosing those relationships, when in reality they are being exploited. The very nature of grooming makes it difficult to recognise as groomers often succeed in deceiving both the victim and those around them. Many adults are therefore not able to recognise the signs that a young person is being exploited.

In a recent report by the Independent, NSPCC’s policy manager, Lisa McCrindle highlighted the importance of relationship education in schools “so young people know what a good relationship looks like and what an unhealthy, abusive relationship looks like.” This follows research by CEOP (Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre) which affirms that nearly three quarters of secondary education teachers say school lessons are the most important way to teach children about sexual exploitation. Messages about healthy relationships and risky behaviour can be taught through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Sex and Relationship Education (SRE). Topics that can be explored include: respect and responsibilities, understanding of dangerous and exploitative situations, exploring gender stereotypes and gender roles and assessing risk and its consequences. The video ‘Exploited’ which was released in 2012 is an excellent tool that helps teach young people about exploitative friendships. Produced by CEOP with support from a range of national partners including the NSPCC, Brook, the Sex Education Forum and Barnardo’s, the video follows the story of fictional teenager Whitney to explore how children and young people can be made vulnerable to sexual abuse, highlighting the grooming and manipulation techniques used by abusers.

For teachers, knowing how to recognise the signs of CSE plays an important part in its prevention. Young people who are being sexually exploited may be involved in gangs, hang around with older groups of people or have older boyfriends or girlfriends. They may regularly go missing or be away from school for long periods of time. By giving our teachers the skills to identify those most vulnerable and engage them in discussion about their experiences we are able to protect them from any further longer lasting damage. The NSPCC’s Protect and Respect Service, launched in 2011, is open to children and teenagers aged 10 to 19, and works with teachers, police officers, nurses and youth workers to identify and support youngsters who have been sexually exploited or are at risk of falling victim. The service has directly helped 1,866 children and young people so far, including 1,493 children between the ages of 10 and 15.

There’s also positive news from the Government, who are taking further steps to support the cause. Ministers have pledged an extra £40 million to help agencies do more to fight sexual abuse, trafficking and exploitation. The drive includes the launch of a new centre of expertise and plans to create a new national database of missing people.

Concerned about CSE among students in your school?
E-safety Support can help.
Developed by Tim Pinto, e-safety consultant and member of the Educational Advisory Board for CEOP, our CSE training course explores the stages of CSE and how to recognise it. It is available for distribution exclusively to our Premium Plus members.

Not sure if your school has the right policies in place to deal with any risks associated with CSE?
Our CSE checklist is available for free when you sign up for a free E-safety Support membership - this also includes access to a selection of e-safety resources along with previews of all the online training courses.