A SECONDARY school in South East Cornwall has been given an award for its 'excellent quality' of online safety.

Saltash.net Community School has been awarded the 360°Safe E-Safety Mark following a pilot programme organised by The South West Grid for Learning.

The mark has been awarded as the school had demonstrated the 'excellent quality of their e-safety policy, procedures and practice'.

The 360°Safe programme is a self-review tool that enables schools to generate a personalised report with suggestions as to what the school should do to improve online safety.

It also explains exactly how it should be done in any school, regardless of size or its expertise in information technology.

Government-funded SWGfL has developed 360°Safe in a way that makes it easy to use for all teachers and school leaders, with or without technical knowledge.

David Wright, head of the team from SWGfL, said: "Everyone is aware that the internet has dangers but it is also a place that offers children amazing opportunities not only for learning but also socialising and entertainment. We have to balance these two aspects.

"The problem we face is that children's use of the internet is radically different from that of the vast majority of adults.

"Also we occasionally find one or two schools where staff believe children and teenagers are fully protected from the dangers of the internet, when in fact pupils and students with a bit of technical knowledge can get around their protection systems."

Dave Garland, deputy headteacher of saltash.net, said: "The use of the 360°Safe online tool was a godsend in sorting out the most important aspects of our e-safety approach and it gives clear guidance about the necessary evidence that we need to prove ourselves to be e-safe.

"We feel so pleased that we have been awarded the E-Safety Mark. It has made our school and students more secure and has informed our way forward in this vitally important area."