PEAR Tree Mead, Potter Street Academy, Purford Green and The Downs primary school have been working with eSafety training professionals ‘The 2 Johns’.

John and John spent many years working as Police Detectives in various roles tackling Online and Offline Child Exploitation. They are regarded as experts in their field and have been key speakers at numerous major events throughout the country as well as appearing on various BBC radio Shows the BBC Breakfast show.

During the day The 2 Johns worked with over 1000 PCLC children, aged from 5 to 11 year old, on how to keep themselves safe on line. They had an amazing day, taking part in quizzes and inter school competitions whilst updating their ESafety knowledge at the same time. Topics covered included different apps and chat within on line games, how to use device cameras safely, sharing personal information (including photos and videos) and the world of influencers and false information. In doing this The 2 Johns also covered Tik Tok, YouTube, and WhatsApp, which are the main ways younger children access online content.

A full day with children was followed by a staff training session with over 180 PCLC primary staff, updating them on the latest on line trends and concerns and ensuring they have the knowledge to be able to help local families.

During the evening over 200 parents joined for their online session, where the focus was on how to keep children safe online by using the right settings, having open conversations at home and how children can report concerns.

Executive Headteacher, Emma Bloomfield said:
Latest research tells us that children are accessing online content younger and younger. 25% of 5 – 7 years olds in England having access to a smart device and 41% of all indecent online images are of 7 – 11 year olds.

If you talk to children, they will confidently tell you not to talk to strangers in the street, however in todays world strangers are more likely to approach children on line. These frightening statics show it is vital we make sure children and their families are also kept informed about the risks of being on line.

Working with The 2 Johns helps us to empower our children to keep themselves safe online with support of our staff and their parents and carers.