Messaging Sites Safety

Overview

This 45-minute lesson aims to help Year 6 students understand the potential dangers of messaging sites and how to keep themselves safe online. Rooted in the National Curriculum for England’s Computing Programme of Study, this lesson develops pupils’ knowledge of online safety and responsible technology use, ensuring age-appropriate, relevant content.

National Curriculum Links

Computing:

Key Stage 2 - Pupils should be taught to:
- Use technology safely, respectfully, and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.
- Understand how to keep personal information private on the internet.

PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education):

Develop strategies to manage personal safety in real and virtual environments.
Recognise the importance of respectful communication.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

Understand the risks associated with messaging sites (e.g., sharing personal information, strangers, cyberbullying).
Identify key strategies for staying safe when using messaging apps or websites.
Recognise how to report concerning or harmful behaviour online.
Develop empathy and responsible communication skills when interacting online.

Resources

Interactive whiteboard or projector
Scenario cards (printed or digital)
“Message Safety” poster template for group work
Internet-connected device to demonstrate safe practices (optional)
Emoji cards for roleplay activities

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share: “What do you know about messaging sites?”

Pupils think individually about messaging apps/sites they know (WhatsApp, Messenger, Discord, etc.).
Pair up and discuss what kind of things they do on these apps.
Share a few ideas with the class; teacher lists common uses and briefly highlights positives (staying in touch, sharing ideas).

Purpose: Connect with prior knowledge, establish relevance.

2. Main Teaching & Discussion (10 minutes)

Interactive Presentation: “The Hidden Dangers of Messaging Sites”

Discuss different risks: sharing personal information, talking to strangers, receiving inappropriate messages, cyberbullying.
Introduce key safety principles: never share personal details, do not meet strangers offline, report and block if feeling uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult.
Use real-life style scenarios on slides or cards; after each, pause to ask “What would you do?”

National Curriculum focus: Use discussion to reinforce responsible and respectful behaviour online.

3. Group Activity (15 minutes)

Scenario Roleplay and Poster Creation

Divide class into 4 groups (4 pupils each). Each group receives a different scenario card describing a messaging site situation involving a safety issue (e.g., stranger message, cyberbullying, oversharing info, inappropriate image).
Groups discuss what they would do, roleplay responses using emoji cards to express feelings and reactions.
Each group creates a “Message Safety” poster summarising their scenario, dangers, and safe actions.

Extension: Groups can present their posters to the class.

4. Plenary & Assessment (10 minutes)

Class Quiz – “Spot the Safe Choice”

Use an interactive quiz format (hands-up, mini whiteboards, or digital polling if available).
Present brief statements/situations (e.g., “You get a message asking for your address — what do you do?”) and pupils pick the safest option.
Discuss answers, clarifying any misconceptions.

Assessment:

Observe pupil participation in discussions and roleplays.
Evaluate posters for understanding of safety principles.
Quiz responses to assess comprehension.

5. Homework/Follow-up Suggestion

Ask students to discuss with a parent or carer what they learned today and create a family “Online Safety Contract” detailing safe messaging practices and rules.

Differentiation

Support: Provide simpler scenarios, sentence starters, or paired support during group work.
Challenge: Ask pupils to think about how to support friends who might experience online bullying or unsafe messaging. Encourage them to write their own safety tips.

Reflection for Teachers

Watch for pupils’ understanding of personal boundaries and privacy.
Note any pupils who share concerning personal anecdotes for private follow-up.
Reflect on engagement during roleplay – did it promote empathy and responsible behaviour?

This lesson plan aligns directly with the National Curriculum’s emphasis on safe, responsible technology use while keeping the content age-appropriate and highly interactive, aiming to empower Year 6 pupils to be confident digital citizens.

Teaching Instructions