Online Safety...Keeping our children safe online 

Friday 8th October 2021

'Squid Game'

Unfortunately we have had many reports through children about Squid Game and the issues related to it.

It would appear this is not just an EM issue, but nationwide, even further afield than that.

whilst there are no formal 'guidelines' for advice about the programme, simple steps can be deployed by you our parents and carers to prevent any more of our children becoming witnesses to the inappropriate and disturbing content that it contains.

* Set up an area on Netflix/Prime/Now TV for your child and apply the parental controls (limiting what they can and cannot watch and access. For example, set the 'Age' as appropriate to how old they are and do not go higher.

* Please chat to your children about the importance of only using the 'child friendly' area on Netflix that YOU have set up for them and not to stray onto other areas set up for parents/older siblings.

* Be honest with your children about why you are doing this...to PROTECT them!

I have today spoken to Upper KS2 about the reasoning behind age ratings especially for films and programmes because of graphic content, please could I ask you do the same so we can prevent anyone else becoming upset over the content they are seeing on Squid Game.

Just like Momo a few years ago and previous online programmes, games, films, we often do not know of their content until we are told by our children. I am very proud of the children who have gone to their class staff teams this week to express their concern and the sensible and mature ways in which they have dealt with it! They are a credit to you! Thank you!

If you do hear of your children becoming upset, worried, anxious about Squid Game or any other online programme, game, activity, and you are unsure how to deal with it, please do not hesitate to come and chat to either myself or Mrs Sworeń or Mrs Ridings who together with myself are school's Online Safety Leads. And don't forget to check in the Online Safety area on our website to read through the online guides.

Further information about Squid Game can be found here (or below).

Many thanks as always,

Annalisa Howarth

Headteacher