Online Safety in Early Years Training Course

Online safety in early years means protecting babies and young children when digital devices, online services, or internet-connected toys are used. It includes the steps taken to reduce harm and support safe, suitable experiences. Digital safeguarding brings online safety into everyday safeguarding practice, linking it to wider duties to promote children’s welfare and protect personal information.

This free course introduces online safety and digital safeguarding in the context of Early Years practice in England. It explains why online safety matters for babies and young children, how children access technology at home and in settings, and how practitioners can manage risk through supervision, safer device use, clear policies, partnership with families and appropriate safeguarding responses.

Why Take This eLearning Course?

Digital devices and online content are now part of many young children’s daily lives. Even very young children may come across tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, voice assistants and internet-connected toys. Because babies and young children cannot judge online risk for themselves, adults in early years settings must take clear, consistent steps to keep them safe.

This free course will help you to:

• Understand what online safety and digital safeguarding mean in early years practice.
• Recognise why online safety is important for babies and young children.
• Learn how children aged 0–5 access technology at home and in early years settings.
• Identify common devices used by young children.
• Recognise age-appropriate online activities and apps.
• Understand the benefits of technology for learning and development when used appropriately.
• Identify common online risks, including content, contact, conduct, privacy and data risks.
• Understand the risks linked to screen time and overuse.
• Recognise how online risks differ for young children compared with older children.
• Understand how online safety links to safeguarding and child protection.
• Identify signs that a child may be at risk online.
• Learn about the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead in online safety.
• Explore safe use of devices, supervision and filtering measures in early years provision.
• Understand the importance of policies and procedures for online safety.
• Learn how to introduce online safety in an age-appropriate way.
• Explore simple messages, play and discussion approaches that support children’s understanding.
• Strengthen partnership working with parents and carers around online safety.
• Recognise how to respond, record and report online safety concerns appropriately.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Define online safety and digital safeguarding.
• Explain why online safety is important for babies and young children.
• Identify how young children access technology in early years settings and at home.
• List common devices used by children aged 0–5.
• Describe age-appropriate online activities and apps.
• Explain the benefits of technology for learning and development.
• Identify common online risks, including inappropriate content, contact and conduct.
• Describe the risks of screen time and overuse.
• Outline how online risks differ for young children compared to older children.
• Explain how online safety links to safeguarding and child protection.
• Identify signs that a child may be at risk online.
• Outline the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead in online safety.
• Describe safe use of devices in early years provision.
• Identify appropriate supervision and filtering measures.
• Explain the importance of policies and procedures for online safety.
• Describe how to introduce online safety in an age-appropriate way.
• Give examples of teaching simple messages such as asking for help and being kind.
• Explain the role of play and discussion in supporting understanding.
• Explain why partnership with parents is essential for online safety.
• Identify ways to share online safety advice with families.
• Give examples of consistent messages between home and setting.
• Outline what to do if an online safety concern is identified.
• Identify who concerns should be reported to.
• Describe how to record and follow up concerns appropriately.

Online Safety in Early Years Course Outline

Module 1: Understanding Online Safety and Digital Safeguarding
Learners will explore what is meant by online safety and digital safeguarding in early years practice. This module explains online safety as protecting babies and young children when digital devices, online services, or internet-connected toys are used, and describes digital safeguarding as the way online safety is embedded within everyday safeguarding practice. Learners will examine why online safety is especially important for babies and young children, who cannot judge online risk, recognise persuasive content, or manage contact with others safely. The module also explores how young children access technology at home and in early years settings, including tablets, phones, smart TVs, interactive screens, programmable toys, and shared family devices, showing how quickly and informally digital access can happen in everyday life.

Module 2: Technology Use in Early Years and Age-Appropriate Digital Experiences
This module focuses on the common devices and digital experiences used by children aged 0 to 5. Learners will examine the range of devices young children may come across, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, laptops, games consoles, internet-connected toys, and voice assistants. The module also explains what age-appropriate online activities and apps look like for this age group, with an emphasis on short, simple, adult-supported experiences such as audio stories, songs, creative apps, photo-taking, video calling with family, and very simple early learning games. Learners will also explore the potential benefits of technology for communication, language, understanding of the world, and inclusion, while recognising that these benefits depend on careful adult choices, close supervision, and a balanced approach that does not replace play, movement, and relationships.

Module 3: Understanding Online Risks for Young Children
Learners will explore the common online risks faced by babies and young children and how these differ from the risks faced by older children. This module explains risks linked to inappropriate content, unsafe contact, risky conduct, privacy, data capture, scams, and age-inappropriate adverts, showing how these can arise through auto-play, pop-ups, recommendations, chat functions, and poorly controlled apps or devices. The module also examines the risks linked to screen time and overuse, including reduced sleep quality, less physical movement, fewer conversations, emotional dysregulation, attention difficulties, and strain on relationships when screens replace responsive interaction and play. Learners will explore why online risks differ for young children, who are more likely to experience passive exposure and accidental access than deliberate searching or purposeful online interaction.

Module 4: Online Safety as Part of Safeguarding and Child Protection
This module focuses on the close link between online safety, safeguarding, and child protection. Learners will examine how online harm can reflect the same safeguarding concerns that apply offline, including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying, and exploitation. The module explains that early years settings have a duty of care whenever children use devices on site and whenever images or personal information are stored or shared. Learners will also explore signs that a child may be at risk online, such as fearful reactions around devices, unusual language or behaviour, repeated violent or hateful phrases, tiredness linked to late-night screen use, secrecy around devices, or signs of neglect alongside heavy unsupervised access. The role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead is also covered, including policy oversight, staff training, managing concerns, working with external agencies, and maintaining clear and secure records.

Module 5: Safe Use of Devices, Supervision, and Filtering Measures
Learners will explore how to use devices safely within early years provision. This module explains how safe practice depends on suitable device set-up, age-appropriate app choices, strong supervision, safe environments, and secure storage. Learners will examine practical measures such as child profiles, in-app purchase controls, location settings, safe search modes, browser restrictions, chat controls, Wi-Fi filtering, and regular checks of privacy and content settings. The module also emphasises the importance of supervised use at all times, shared-screen practice, and strong adult oversight, as filters and controls cannot remove all risk on their own. The role of policies and procedures is also explored, showing how clear guidance helps settings manage device use, staff conduct, image sharing, app approval, data protection, and safeguarding responses consistently and lawfully.

Module 6: Teaching Online Safety in an Age-Appropriate Way
This module focuses on how online safety can be introduced to babies, toddlers, and preschool children in ways that are simple, calm, and developmentally appropriate. Learners will examine how early online safety is taught through adult choices, shared routines, and repeated simple messages rather than through abstract explanations. The module explains how messages such as asking for help, stopping and telling a grown-up, sharing screens with adults, being kind, talking only to people adults know, and keeping names and photos private can be introduced gradually through daily experiences. Learners will also explore how play and discussion support understanding, including role play with pretend devices, storytelling, puppets, small-group talk, matching games, and linking online safety to familiar real-world safety routines. The focus throughout is on building safe habits without creating unnecessary fear or confusion.

Module 7: Working in Partnership with Parents and Carers
Learners will explore why partnership with parents and carers is essential for online safety in the early years. This module explains that most device use happens at home, so children benefit most when settings and families share a common understanding of suitable content, supervision, device rules, screen limits, and image-sharing boundaries. Learners will examine ways to share online safety advice with families, including everyday conversations, newsletters, handouts, posters, workshops, and support sessions that explain safe settings, filters, child profiles, and age-appropriate digital choices. The module also explores examples of consistent messages that can be used between home and setting, such as devices being used with an adult, asking for help straight away, only talking to people adults know, being kind, stopping screens when adults say, and keeping names and photos private.

Module 8: Responding to Online Safety Concerns
In the final module, learners will explore what to do if an online safety concern is identified. This module explains the importance of ensuring immediate safety, preserving information where possible, making a clear factual record, and reporting promptly through the setting’s safeguarding procedures. Learners will examine who concerns should be reported to, including the Designated Safeguarding Lead, deputy DSL, manager, or Local Authority Designated Officer where allegations involve staff, and how the DSL decides whether referral to children’s social care, the police, or other agencies is required. The module also explains how to record and follow up concerns appropriately, including the child’s words where relevant, the device or platform involved, the context of the incident, actions taken, outcomes, and any changes needed to practice such as tighter controls, revised permissions, or further staff training.

Target Audience

This course is suitable for:

• Early years practitioners.
• Nursery and preschool staff.
• Childminders and childminding assistants.
• Reception staff and teaching assistants.
• Safeguarding leads and deputy safeguarding leads.
• Managers and supervisors.
• Anyone involved in supporting babies and young children where digital devices or online content are used.

No previous specialist knowledge of digital safeguarding is required.

FAQ

Is this course relevant to Early Years practice in England?

Yes. The course is designed for Early Years practice in England and links online safety to the EYFS statutory framework, safeguarding responsibilities, data protection duties and wider child protection procedures.

Does the course cover both online safety and safeguarding?

Yes. It explains online safety as part of everyday safeguarding practice and shows how digital risks should be recognised, recorded, reported and followed up through the setting’s safeguarding procedures.

Will this course help with safe use of devices in my setting?

Yes. The course covers safer access, supervision, child-friendly profiles, filtering, app restrictions, information security and the safe handling of images and personal data.

Does it include age-appropriate teaching for young children?

Yes. It explains how to introduce simple messages such as asking for help, being kind, and only using devices with trusted adults, using play, discussion and shared routines.

Is partnership with parents included?

Yes. The course explores why partnership with parents and carers is essential, how to share practical advice with families, and how to create consistent messages between home and setting.

Does the course cover responding to concerns?

Yes. It explains what to do if an online safety concern is identified, who concerns should be reported to, and how to record and follow them up appropriately.

How long does the course take?

The course is self-paced and typically takes 1 hours to complete.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. A certificate is issued after successful completion.

Is the course CPD accredited?

Courses are not currently CPD accredited, but accreditation is planned.

A strong understanding of online safety helps early years practitioners protect babies and young children in a world where digital technology is increasingly part of daily life. By embedding digital safeguarding into everyday practice, working closely with families, and responding promptly to concerns, practitioners can help ensure that children experience technology in ways that are safe, suitable and supportive.

Enrol now to build your understanding of online safety and digital safeguarding in Early Years practice.