Key Stage 1 computing · Digital literacy and online safety

KS1 online safety: where to get help when worried online

Part of the Key Stage 1 computing curriculum is knowing where to go for help and support when something online worries you. For children of five to seven, the lesson is short and clear: if something you see or someone who gets in touch makes you feel uncomfortable, upset or confused, stop, put the screen down and tell a trusted grown-up straight away. You will not be in trouble.

Getting help when worried online, explained

The National Curriculum says that Key Stage 1 pupils should identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies. “Content” is what children see or hear: a frightening video, an unkind picture, a pop-up they did not expect. “Contact” is when someone gets in touch with them, for example a message from a person they do not know in a game. With young children, teachers usually put this more simply, talking about “something you see” and “someone who talks to you”.

The central skill is telling. Many schools teach a simple routine that children can remember, such as stop, close or put the screen down, and tell a trusted adult. Because five and six year olds have a limited sense of what is risky, the rule does not depend on judging how serious something is. If it feels wrong, worries you or you are not sure, you tell. Children learn that telling a grown-up is not telling tales and that they will not be in trouble, even if they were using a device without asking.

Another strand is working out who the trusted adults are. Some teachers ask children to draw round their hand and write a name on each finger: a parent or carer, a grandparent, a teacher, a teaching assistant, a family friend. Children learn that a trusted adult is someone they know well and feel safe with, and that if the first person is busy or does not listen, they keep going until someone does. Schools also remind children that adults in school are there to help with worries, including ones that began at home on a tablet.

Feelings are a big part of this. Children practise noticing the body signals that something is not right, such as a tight tummy or feeling hot, and putting words to them: “That made me feel scared.” They are also taught that it is never their fault if they see something upsetting. Because the objective sits alongside keeping personal information private, children learn that the same trusted adults can help them if someone asks for private details.

At home, your reaction when your child tells you something matters more than anything else. If a child is met with panic, a ban on the device or a telling off, they learn not to tell next time. Staying calm, thanking them for telling you, and sorting out the problem together is one of the most effective things you can do to keep your child safe online.

Words your child will hear

Trusted adult: A grown-up you know well and feel safe with, such as a parent, carer or teacher, who will listen and help.
Content: Anything you see, hear or read online, such as a video, picture, game or message.
Contact: When someone gets in touch with you online, for example by sending you a message.
Worried: Feeling upset, scared, uncomfortable or unsure about something.
Report: Tell someone, such as a grown-up, about something that is wrong so they can help.
Block: Stop a person or account from being able to contact you. A grown-up can do this for your child.
Screen: The part of a tablet, computer or phone that shows pictures and words.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 1 says:

Pupils should be taught to use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies
Aim: pupils are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: what to do when a message worries you

Your child is playing a game on the family tablet when a player they do not know writes, “Hi! Where do you live? Do you want to be my friend?” What should they do?

Stop. Your child does not answer the message, however friendly it looks. They do not need to be rude or explain; they simply stop typing and do not reply.
Put the screen down or turn it away. Closing the tablet cover or turning the screen to face the table gives a clear break and helps your child feel in control.
Tell a trusted adult. Your child goes to a grown-up they trust and says what happened in their own words: “Someone I don’t know asked where I live.” Young children can simply show the message.
The adult stays calm and thanks the child for telling. They check that the child feels all right, make clear that the child has done the right thing and is not in trouble, and ask the child to leave the device where it is.
The adult then deals with the problem. They can block the player, report the message using the game’s own controls and talk to the child’s teacher if it connects to school.

Stop, don’t reply, put the screen down, and tell a trusted adult straight away. The grown-up then helps by blocking and reporting. The child has done exactly the right thing and is not in trouble.

Common mistakes and how to help

Thinking you will be in trouble if you tell

Children worry that a grown-up will be cross about what they saw, or take away the tablet. At five to seven, avoiding trouble often matters more than getting help.

What helps: Say it plainly and often: “You will never be in trouble for telling me.” When your child does tell you, thank them first and sort out the problem afterwards. Avoid banning the device as a reaction.

Only telling if you are sure it is serious

Young children cannot always judge how serious something is, and may decide that it was not important enough to mention.

What helps: Give a simple rule that does not rely on judging: if it makes you feel funny, worried or confused, you tell. Praise small tells so that telling becomes a habit.

Telling a friend or sibling instead of a grown-up

Children feel safer with someone their own age, but another child may not know how to help, and the problem stays.

What helps: Say that friends are great for sharing news but that a worry about the internet goes to a trusted grown-up. Practise saying, “I need to tell you something that worried me.”

Believing that switching it off makes the problem go away

Closing the screen feels like a solution, and it is a good first step, but the video or message may still be there and the child may still feel upset.

What helps: Explain that closing the screen is step two and telling is step three. A grown-up can block, report and check the child feels better.

How to help at home

Make a hand of helpers. Draw round your child’s hand and write a trusted person on each finger, including someone at school. Put it somewhere they will see it. Talk about what to do if the first person is busy: try the next finger.
Practise the routine. Rehearse “stop, put the screen down, tell a grown-up” as a game. Pretend a funny face or noise has popped up on the tablet, and let your child do the three steps, then swap roles.
Name the feelings. Chat about how it feels when something is scary, silly or confusing, and where we feel it in the body. Children who can describe a feeling find it easier to say, “That made me feel worried.”
Check in after screen time. Ask a relaxed question, such as “Was there anything that was funny, or a bit odd, today?” Keep it light and listen without reacting too strongly, so that your child gets used to telling you.
Stay close while they play. For this age, use tablets and computers in the same room as you. You will notice a change in mood early, and your child knows help is a few steps away.

Leads on to

Key Stage 2: Acceptable online behaviour
Key Stage 2: Reporting concerns online