A TEAM of children from a Bradford primary school will teach fellow students and parents how to stay safe online.

The Year 5 pupils at St Matthew’s CE Primary School are working towards an online safety award by looking at issues like cyberbullying and their “digital footprint.”

The school’s five Digital Leaders, Sami Arshad, Saba Fatima, Madeeha Bhula, Mya Lattibeaudiere and Aman Shafi, are planning a series of events and assemblies at which they will explain the best ways to keep safe online in a world where even young children have access to the internet.

The five were among 30 pupils from schools across West Yorkshire who recently took part in the Barney and Echo Internet Safety Roadshow, held at Bradford City Football Club.

The event involved interactive presentations by online safety experts, including a group from West Yorkshire Police. The pupils also took part in a cyber bullies workshop and poster competition at the roadshow.

Since the event, David Brown, Year 6 teacher and ICT lead at the school, has been using Barney and Echo’s “Caught in the Web” educational resources to boost the school’s online safety curriculum.

A key role for the five pupils will be to explain the eight principles involved in gaining the 360 Degree Safe E-Safety Mark.

These eight principles are: privacy security, self-image identity, relationship communication, cyberbullying, digital footprint reputation, creative credit copyright, information literacy and internet safety

Schools have to reach a series of benchmark levels when they complete the award’s self-review. The evidence they provide is then verified by a visit from assessors.

The award is granted by the South West Grid for Learning Trust.

Schools are expected to show that they provide a high standard of e-safety education and awareness for staff, pupils and parents and carers, to ensure they know how to be safe online – whether in school, their homes or out and about using mobile phones.

As households have more devices with internet access than ever, the importance of knowing how to act online is becoming increasingly relevant for schools.

Acting Headteacher Kay Remmer said: “We are proud of our Digital Leaders who have made a good start in getting across the online safety messages they have been taught in school and at the Barney and Echo event. They are working hard to help ensure the school meets the criteria for the 360 Degree Safe E-Safety Mark.

“Online safety is an important part of the ICT curriculum and involves everyone in school and parents working together to ensure that e-safety messages are understood and acted upon effectively.”

Recognising the increasing presence of the internet in young people’s lives, several other Bradford schools have recently worked towards obtaining the safety award.

Last month Miriam Lord Primary School in Manningham was presented with the award, with the trust praising the school for providing “a high level of protection for users of the new technologies.”

Addingham Primary School also recently picked up the award.