The web has been described as the greatest development in communication since the printing press. That is undoubtedly true, but it also carries its own risks.

If you want to write a book, a publisher has to check and permit it – and even self-publishing is subject to some external controls. However, anyone can publish anything on the web, with no formal checking.

Although our security is expensive and well-controlled, hundreds of new sites appear daily. The content of these may not only be unreliable, it may also be unsuitable. After a relatively short time these sites are automatically blocked by our system.

At Caldicott the boys are taught to use the web intelligently. If they are looking for information they should look at the content of several sites, unless they are known to be reliable, such as the BBC website, academic sites and some online encyclopaedias. Of course, bias may then have to be considered, but that is a different issue.

To ensure the safety of your sons, Caldicott boys have to agree to an Internet Use Policy. This is available under Administration > Forms for Parents, for which you must log in. It should be discussed with you, and both you and your son must sign. Without this, web access (but not email) will be blocked.

Caldicott has very effective controls, not the least of which is the staff who are around all the time. This human awareness is the most effective control. For the home, we recommend NetNanny (unfortunately our security service is only available for schools and organisations). Although NetNanny is good, it is not perfect.

Boys in the Sixth Forms are still talking to me about the recent Panorama programme on Facebook. This has obviously made them more aware of some of the dangers. We absolutely do not allow chat or web email at Caldicott. Facebook, Bebo and others cannot be accessed. However, all boarders have a secure and private email address, and that is always available, even if web access is blocked.

At home, the advice we give is to allow your son to use the web, but to have some controls on it such as NetNanny. If they use chat – and we do advise against it – then it should be in a room with you. It is easy for boys to become carried away if they are in their own room for several hours.