Didcot school hosts online safety events to support pupils and parents
Aureus School is encouraging families to talk more openly about the dangers of social media
A secondary school in Didcot is hosting a series of events today aimed at tackling the growing challenges of online safety for young people.
Aureus School is will be bringing together students, parents and staff to address issues around social media, smartphone use and emerging technologies.
The initiative includes student assemblies, staff training and a parent-focused session, all designed to encourage open conversations about online behaviour and safety.
Headteacher Kirsty Rogers said the goal is to ensure both children and adults feel confident discussing what young people encounter online.
"Teenagers sometimes won't say when they've seen something they didn't want to see, so we want to open up the conversation," Ms Rogers said. "Then from the parents, we want them to be able to have that conversation without it being a battle."
Ms Rogers highlighted how rapidly technology has evolved since the start of her career, with internet access now constant through smartphones.
"When I first started teaching, the issues centred around use of a computer, whereas now those computers are in our children's pockets," she said.
She added that many people may not know what platforms their children may be using and that it is important to gain an understanding of these.
"We need to ensure that the parents are aware of these apps and what they do because there are apps out there these days where you can talk to a random person," Ms Rogers said.
The school’s focus comes amid wider concerns across Oxfordshire and the UK about children’s online experiences.
Ms Rogers pointed to wellbeing surveys indicating that some children are being exposed to inappropriate content from as young as 10 years old — often unintentionally.
"They're not trying to see it, it's coming up or their feed or their friend is showing it to them,” she said. "We want them to be able to go home and say to their parents that they saw something that they didn't like or understand and want to talk that through."
She added that those conversations are necessary for parents to be able to guide or protect their children effectively.
To raise awareness of the dangers and help tackle the issue, the school is combining in-house expertise with external specialists.
Ms Rogers highlighted the importance of having additional support to help them stay up on top of the challenges that come with rapid developments in technology.
"Schools cannot keep up at the moment with the pace of change - like AI and the things students can do with that," she said. "We need to bring these experts in whose job is to research and educate us as the staff, the parents and the children."
Ms Rogers also expressed support for stricter national measures, including restricting social media for under 16s
“I am absolutely in the camp of a social media ban - I think that we, as a nation, aren't protecting our children enough,” she said.
"We don't want to be teaching children in primary school about terrible things they can see online. We want to be teaching them at an age where they're mature enough to understand," Ms Rogers added.
She warned that current habits around social media use could be damaging young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Alongside digital education, Aureus School is promoting offline activities to help students build friendships and confidence.
From clubs like Warhammer and darts to dance and other interests, the school is encouraging pupils to build relationships.
“We want students to connect in real-life,” Ms Rogers said. “That's what humans need."”