On Tuesday, 11th February 2025, The Observatory School joined the UK’s biggest celebration of online safety—Safer Internet Day. This year’s theme, ‘Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online’, focused on raising awareness of online scams and how young people can stay safe in an increasingly digital world.

What We Did in School

To mark the occasion, Mr. Meenan delivered an insightful assembly exploring different types of scams, how scammers operate, and how pupils can spot fraudulent activity. Following this, each class took part in dedicated lessons tailored to their year group, discussing real-life examples and strategies to protect themselves and others online.

Why This Matters

Online scams are becoming more sophisticated, especially with advances in technology such as generative AI. Safer Internet Day encourages young people to think critically about what they see online and highlights the role of governments, internet industries, and individuals in tackling this issue. Discussions covered:
✔️ The real impact of online scams and how common they are.
✔️ The risks of online financial scams, including sextortion.
✔️ How changing technology is influencing scammers’ tactics.
✔️ The support available to young people if they experience or suspect an online scam.

Get Involved

Safer Internet Day is coordinated by the UK Safer Internet Centre, bringing together thousands of organisations to promote the safe, responsible, and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. To learn more about this year’s campaign, visit the Safer Internet Day website.

???? Watch this space! We’ll be sharing a video soon showcasing some of the fantastic learning and discussions from the day.

A huge thank you to all pupils and staff for making this an engaging and important day of learning! ????????