Following the announcement of our Digital Proficiency Course, we’ve compiled a list of your FAQs to aid your understanding of why it will be a timetable highlight and to celebrate Safer Internet Day with confidence!
📅 How long will the course be available for?
This course will be live from the 5th of February and will be open until at least the end of term (Easter) in order to give schools plenty of time to schedule the course and test into their timetable.
⏱️How long will the course take to complete?
Due to the different delivery options, and factoring discussion time, the duration of the course may differ. For a breakdown of the approximate course duration if videos are played back-to-back, see below.
Lower Primary Pupils – 5-7 minutes (Intended to be teacher led with pause points)
Upper Primary Pupils – 20 minutes
Lower Post-Primary Pupils – 30 minutes
Upper Post-Primary Pupils – 35 minutes
Primary SEN - 20 minutes
Post-Primary SEN – 30 minutes
Staff – 45 minutes
Parents/Carers - 20 minutes
🔐Does each staff, pupil and parent/carer need their own login?
Yes, each user will require their own login to the app which is quick and easy to create. Staff and parents/carers can access the app by registering with an email and password, then entering the unique school code distributed by your school (administrators can find this in the Management Portal).
Pupils do not require an email address or password; they simply log in using the dedicated pupil entry code provided by your school.
🧑💻Will pupils be able to access the course on school desktops?
Yes, there will be a pupil role added to the Web App from the 5th of February to allow for pupils to complete the course and test on school desktops or home devices. Pupils will need the entry code to access (which is found in the Management Portal).
🧸 Is this suitable for nursery aged children?
Yes, our lower primary content is based on The Friend Ship, an animated story which sows the seeds of safety for children as young as nursery school. We encourage teachers to deliver the course at the pace which children require, allowing for plenty of pause points to aid understanding and encourage discussion.
🏫 How do I know if my school is already registered as a Safer School?
If you have already registered with us at Safer Schools NI, your school's name should appear as a dropdown option when you log into the app or portal. If you are still unsure, or are having trouble logging in, feel free to drop us an email at saferschoolsni@ineqe.com or call us at 02896 005 777
🏆How do we achieve the Certified Safer School status?
The Digital Proficiency Course seeks to involve every member of the school community – staff, pupils and parents/carers. If your school can encourage an active participation from each group to complete the course and test, upon review, we would be delighted to award you the Certified Safer School badge. Contact us when you've completed the course, we'll review your portal and get back in touch with your certificate and digital badge. This can be placed on your school's website, social media and emails. This can be placed on your school’s website or emails.
🧑🏫What are the different delivery options?
We have provided four different delivery options for the Digital Proficiency Course. Each school can deliver the course as they see fit, selecting the best option for your class or using a hybrid approach. Check out delivery options here.
📲How do I gain access to the Safer Schools web and mobile app?
You can download your Safer Schools NI app on the App Store or Google Play Store on your device or access the Web App. From here, you can select your school and using the 4-digit code or QR entry code distributed by your school, you can access your school’s Safer Schools NI app.
🌐 How do I gain access to the Management Portal?
Safer School administrators can access their school’s Management Portal using the necessary log in details from their welcome email. If you are unsure who your school’s administrators are, please contact saferschoolsni@ineqe.com and we would be happy to help you.
📚 What topics are covered in the Digital Proficiency Course?
The course covers prevalent topics on the online world today and are based on the 5 C’s of online risk where harm occurs: Cyber Security, Content, Contact, Conduct and Commerce. Find out what is covered for each year group, parents/carers and staff on our webpage.
👪 Can I access the course as a staff member and a parent/carer?
Yes, the Safer Schools App makes it very simple to switch between roles and schools so if you are both a parent/carer and a staff member, it will be easy for you to select the appropriate role and complete the course and test within this role.
📍 Why is my school not on the dropdown menu in the app/portal?
Your school may not be on the dropdown menu because you haven’t registered your school as a Safer School just yet. This is quick and easy to do via the onboarding form and you’ll hear from us within 48 hours.
If you’re not sure, you can email us at saferschoolsni@ineqe.com to find out if your school has registered in the past or call us at 02896 005 777 and our service team will help you with logging in again or signing up.
If you are a Safer School and your school isn’t there, please let us know.
💳 Is there a cost?
No - There is no additional cost to this course for those who are registered for Safer Schools due to our partnership with the Department of Education.
🎓 Do I get anything for completing the Digital Proficiency Course?
Yes! Everyone who completes the course and passes the test will be awarded a Safer Schools Certificate of Completion. For schools who have demonstrated a whole school commitment, they will be awarded the Certified Safer School badge.
📊 What data is collected?
Administrators will receive valuable and measurable insight into the current online safety knowledge of their school community which will allow them to tailor their curriculum to target the areas of online safety that need more support. This can be found within your Management Portal.