Most children in the UK are using the internet well before they start school. They watch videos on a parent’s phone, talk to a smart speaker in the kitchen and video-call their grandparents. What they cannot do is judge any of it or protect themselves, so their safety depends on the adults around them. This online safety training for early years staff shows your team how to be those adults, in the setting and in their conversations with families.
Why online safety matters in the early years
Early years online safety is adult-managed safety. Autoplay can lead a child from a nursery rhyme to something frightening. Chat features in games can let a stranger reach a child during ordinary play. Photos shared online can show where a child lives and learns, and in-app purchases are a tap away. Each of these is a welfare issue, which is why the course treats online safety as part of safeguarding.
Safe management of devices and children’s images is part of your setting’s safeguarding duties under the EYFS, and inspectors and parents rightly expect to see it done well. That means a clear policy on phones, cameras and images that every member of staff knows, written parental consent for photographs, and setting-owned devices on a filtered connection.
What’s in the course
- Young children’s digital world todayHow under-fives really use technology, and why online safety belongs in safeguarding.
- The four Cs: content, contact, conduct and commerceSorting online risk into four categories, with early years examples and defences.
- Screens, apps and healthy digital habitsQuality content, co-viewing, balance across the day and screen-free bedtimes.
- The setting’s duties: devices, images and policyPhone and imagery policy, photo consent, observation apps and filtered connections.
- Working with parents: sharenting, smart homes and screen guiltJudgement-free conversations, sharenting risks, connected devices and family agreements.
- AI, emerging technology and keeping watchAI assistants, chatbots, generated content and deepfakes at awareness level, and keeping your practice current.
- Assessment20 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
What you’ll learn
- The four Cs of online risk applied to under-fives, from autoplay rabbit holes and chat features to in-app purchases and gambling-style rewards
- Three questions that tell you more than counting minutes: what are they watching, who is with them, and what is it replacing
- Why co-viewing is the most protective habit, and why screens are best kept out of the bedtime routine
- What your device and imagery policy must cover, from where personal phones are kept to phones at shows and sports days
- The three pillars of photo practice: written consent, setting-owned devices and secure observation platforms
- How to set up devices children use: filtered connection, child profiles, autoplay off and purchases locked
- How to talk to parents about sharenting and smart speakers without judgement, and when to signpost the NSPCC and Internet Matters
- What AI chatbots and generated content mean for young children, and a simple routine for keeping your policy up to date
Who this course is for
- Practitioners in every room, who model technology use and talk to parents at the door
- Managers and DSLs responsible for the setting’s device, imagery and online safety policies
- Staff who take photographs, use observation apps or use tablets and screens with children
- Anyone who answers parents’ questions about screens and apps
How it works
- OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
- 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
- 20-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
- CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.
Training your team
A phone policy only protects children when every adult follows it, so this course works best taken by the whole team. Choose the number of learners at checkout, with group rates from 3 learners, or get it as part of the Training Portal for £5 per learner per month. It pairs well with Mobile Phones, Cameras and Smart Devices in the Setting and Safe Use of AI in the Early Years Setting.
Frequently asked questions
Why do under-fives need online safety?
Because they are already online, almost always on family devices. They cannot assess risk, recognise persuasion or protect their own information, so the adults around them have to manage those risks for them.
What are the four Cs of online risk?
Content is what children see. Contact is who can reach them. Conduct is the habits and behaviour they develop. Commerce is the purchases and advertising built into apps and games. Every online safety concern fits into one or more of them.
How much screen time is too much?
The course focuses on how children use screens rather than counting minutes. Ask what they are watching, who is with them and what the screen is replacing. Good answers to those three matter more than the number on the clock.
Can staff take photos of children on their own phones?
No. Children’s images belong on setting-owned, passcode-protected devices. If a member of staff is seen photographing children on a personal device, treat it as a safeguarding matter and tell your DSL immediately.
What happens if I don’t pass the assessment?
You can resit it as many times as you need until you pass. Your certificate is issued as soon as you reach the 80% pass mark.
Does the course cover AI?
Yes, at awareness level. It covers voice assistants, chatbots, AI-generated videos and deepfakes, and how each maps onto the four Cs. Our Safe Use of AI course goes further, including staff use of AI in planning and observations.
