We are highlighting the work and views of members of the Childnet team over the coming weeks and months.
Next in the hot seat is Tom Pinfield, a Childnet Assistant Education Manager who joined our Education Team in September 2016.
A qualified teacher with eight years’ experience of teaching PSHE in secondary school, Tom tells us more about his varied role and exciting current projects.
What do you do?
Tom: There are three main parts of my role. The first is delivering presentations across the country about online safety. I really like the variety of people I meet and places I visit. The second is creating learning resources covering a whole range of issues and I even get to write the odd blog! The third part is that I am now leading projects. I am really pleased with the ‘Moving on Up!’ resource that I led on last year. It focuses on the online aspects of moving to secondary school that can sometimes be neglected.
Which projects are you working on?
Tom: The two big things I am involved with at the moment are the Childnet Film Competition and our Youth Advisory Board. I have been lucky enough to work with Becky on the Childnet Film Competition over the last few years. We have had to adapt to different issues and the challenges of Covid-19 in that time but the films and young people who get involved are always incredible. I am now leading on our Youth Advisory Board too. We have had Youth Advisory Boards for specific projects in the past so are creating one to help us with all of our work. We have assembled an amazing group and I can’t wait to start working with them.
Best thing about being part of the team?
Tom: The way we work. The voices of children and young people are fundamental to what we do here at Childnet. As well as our outreach work, Youth Advisory Board and Digital Champions we have had young people running activities, making keynote speeches and even hosting our events.
Why is online safety education so important?
Tom: For me, the biggest thing is just how broad online safety education has become. There are hugely important issues like online bullying that remain but we are now looking at things like disinformation, digital literacy, the way that social media companies use our data and how going online makes us feel. It is always evolving and young people are often at the forefront of the new developments so it is vital that we help them to use and enjoy the internet safely and responsibly.
