Haileybury launches SOAR

How do families ensure their children are ready to safely and responsibly navigate the digital world? This is one of the most significant concerns facing parents today, and it’s a concern shared by teachers and staff across Haileybury.

It is also an urgent priority for the Australian Government which is why Australia will see a world-first social media age restrictions introduced to social media platforms on 10 December.

From that date, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, must take reasonable steps to prevent young people under 16 from creating or maintaining a social media account.

The aim is simple and important – to protect young people from the pressures, threats and risks associated with social media.

Haileybury wholeheartedly supports the new legislation and, for some time, we have been developing a new wellbeing program – Safe Online Actions and Relationships (SOAR) – to equip students their families with key cyber safety skills so they can stay one step ahead of the rapidly changing digital and social media landscape.

Setting a new standard

Developed by Haileybury’s psychologists, senior educators and IT specialists, a key element of SOAR is a new and comprehensive interactive cyber safety toolkit for families that sets a new standard in cyber safety education in schools.

The bespoke toolkit enables parents to earn cyber safety micro-credentials through a series of online modules that can be completed at their own pace. In time, there will also be opportunities for parents to attend in-person events and workshops with cyber safety experts.

Recognising that many issues and incidents occur on social media ‘after hours’, parents can also use a custom portal to access quick and authoritative information on key cyber safety topics. It includes videos, articles, links to authoritative resources, and guides that provide information tailored to various age groups and common digital challenges.

SOAR and the cyber safety toolkit will tackle some of the toughest issues facing young people in the digital space including: relationships, digital privacy and security, online safety, cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and what steps young people can take to maintain a positive digital reputation.

These topics might be confronting, but ensuring parents and students have immediate access to accurate and up-to-date information is essential. Our goals is for parents to feel confident, prepared and supported when having conversations with their children about these issues.

One of the first SOAR initiatives will bring parents and students together to work on a digital family agreement and to conduct an online safety audit at home.

Families at the centre

“The cyber safety toolkit has been developed with students and parents at front and centre,” says Haileybury CEO|Principal, Derek Scott.

“That digital landscape is complex and confusing and it’s totally understandable that some parents feel left behind and powerless in knowing how to support their child online.

“As a school, we asked ourselves what more we could do to support families because we know that when an issue arises online, it can quickly escalate and have serious consequences. SOAR and the cyber safety toolkit help parents face these dilemmas and challenges.”

Haileybury families will also receive regular social media updates and push notifications that will provide information on emerging online threats and new safety tips. Haileybury’s experts will also be available to respond to any concerns and questions from parents focused on cyber safety.

Over the coming year, Haileybury will continue to develop our Managed Device Program to help students use technology responsibly, both in and out of school.

“This integrated approach, and particularly the cyber safety toolkit, create a cohesive approach to online safety. Parents are not only informed, they are actively involved in fostering a secure digital environment for their children,” says Derek.

“We are very excited about the potential of our new program to help young people stay safe online, make good choice and to become future-ready and responsible digital citizens.”