Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety

Advice for Parents and Carers

All through school, learners are taught Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety (CRIS) as per the National Curriculum’s Experiences and Outcomes for Digital Literacy, so you can be assured that your child will be prepared for growing up in in a digital world.

CRIS is a real team effort though, as more and more of our young people have access to the internet through their own personal devices such as a phone or tablet, or household smart speakers.

CYBER RESILIENCE relates to the device and its ability to connect to the internet. It looks at how to recognise threats, react to threats and recover from threats.
INTERNET SAFETY is about teaching our learners how to be safe, smart and kind to others when interacting with the online world.

The internet is not a thing, it’s a place where children hang out.

As with any place your child is going, think of the questions you would ask:

  • Where are they going?
  • Who are they going with?
  • What will they be doing there?
  • Can they go on their own or do I need to go with them?

What you can do help keep your child safe:

Speak to your child about what they like to do on their device!


Show genuine interest about what they do online, play together, have fun together! Make sure they know they can talk to you if they ever see something that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Supervise their activity online

Ensure that devices are only used in communal areas in the house such as the living room and kitchen.

Set up a Digital Family Agreement

Think about how devices are used in your house, you can use this to help guide your conversation: Digital Family Agreement template – Internet Matters

Set Parental Controls!

You will find comprehensive parental control guides here, for various devices and platforms. Pay particular attention to the age rating on lots of popular apps that your child may be accessing – they are there for a reason!

Sites we recommend:

Internet Matters
Everything from screen time to tailored advice for you and your family. It is constantly updated and reflects current issues.

ParentZone
Articles, videos and even podcasts! All designed to give you the confidence to support your child online.

Family SmartStart
A free toolkit to support you if you choose to give your child a phone, including security set-up and privacy features, and conversation starters about how to stay safe online.

Lego – Build and Talk
Step by step activities where you can build Lego with your child while also talking to them about digital safety. Particularly helpful if your child has additional support needs.

CEOP for Parents and Carers
Lots of advice and information, the latest national guidance and routes for reporting concerns.

National College
Amongst other things, this site has explainers about new apps or games you may have heard your child talk about, so you can make informed decisions about if your child is allowed to use them.

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