E-safety qualification for pupils

BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, has launched a new qualification to help pupils understand how they can protect themselves on the internet. Earlier this month, a survey by Childwise revealed that 62 per cent of children under 13 use Facebook, despite it being banned under this age. Teachers can offer the BCS e-safety qualification as part of personal well-being, citizenship or ICT lessons, or Every Child Matters. www.bcs.org.uk

Easy access to reward records

Vivo Rewards, the online loyalty scheme for schools, has developed a set of iPhone and Android apps so pupils and teachers can access their rewards records any time. Schools can choose from a wide range of pre-selected items, adding rewards supplied by local businesses or even implement free rewards, such as “jump the dinner queue” or “sit at the front at the school concert”. For more information, visit www.vivorewards.com

‘Sexting’ - message received

Schools in Derbyshire have come up with a series of lessons to warn pupils about the dangers of “sexting” - sharing explicit images of themselves with others via mobile phones. Paget High School in Branston is hosting an assembly looking at the consequences of sharing images this way, while another school, Abbot Beyne in Winshill, sent out flyers on e-safety to parents. The risk of the new craze has been highlighted by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). www.ceop.police.uk.