Wall Heath school children get boost to online safety skills with help from Google, Parent Zone and Dudley South MP Mike Wood.

The event was hosted by Google at Church of the Ascension Primary School in Wall Heath as part of the firms Be Internet Legends programme, supporting children, families and schools across the country to stay safer online. The programme – delivered in partnership with Parent Zone – has trained over 8 million children across the UK.

Mr Wood joined children to hear about the best ways they can stay safer and feel more confident online – including the programmes’ five pillars:

• be Sharp and think before you share;
• be Alert and check it’s for real;
• be Secure and protect your stuff;
• be Kind and respect each other;
• be Brave and when in doubt, discuss.

The Be Internet Legends assembly supports media literacy education. Pupils were taught to think critically in online spaces to avoid scams and phishing, how to protect their data and privacy, and how to communicate positively and sensitively online.

After speaking to the children about the programme, Mr Wood said: “It really is so important that children learn to think carefully and critically about what they do and see online – and this assembly was a brilliantly fun way to do it.

“It’s great that Parent Zone has teamed up with Google to teach younger children, particularly children here in Dudley South, the essential tools they need to become safe and confident online.

“The internet has become a huge part of all of our lives, so it’s critical that the next generation is ready to join the online world safely.”

Chris Bradley, Deputy Headteacher at Church of the Ascension, said: “At Church of the Ascension, we are keen to promote internet safety and encourage our pupils to be aware of the dangers associated with the internet. We are, therefore, delighted to have been able to welcome MP Mike Wood, the Google team and Parent Zone to share our assembly this morning.”

Rosie Luff, Public Policy Manager at Google UK, said: “We are delighted to visit Church of the Ascension Primary School today to help teach children about how to Be Internet Legends.

“By teaching what we believe are the five core areas of online safety, we want to prepare children to have a safe and positive experience online.”

To bring this future-facing programme to life in other local classrooms, parents and teachers can download the free digital lesson plans, including Media Literacy activities.