Stoke-on-Trent Grid for Learning Internet Web Filtering Policy

Transcription

1 Stoke-on-Trent Grid for Learning Internet Web Filtering Policy Definitions Policy a policy is a collection of allowed categories of web site and groups of keywords that is applied to one or more workstations and dictates which web sites can be visited and displayed. Category a category describes the nature of a web site based upon the contents of that site. A small number of categories describe their effect upon access to particular sites School Blocked, for example. Global LA-level filtering - the default system where Local Authority top level filtering policies are applied to schools by the LA through consultation of the ICT Working Group. Establishment level filtering the default system where high level establishment type filtering policies are applied to types of establishments through consultation of the ICT Working Group Primary, Secondary, Community, Support, Default. School-level filtering an extension of the system which allows schools, through their SmartCache, to construct and apply policies at school level. Global LA-level filtering policies these are policies which have been formulated at LA level and which are applied to schools by default. Establishment level filtering policies these are policies which have been created at an establishment level and which are applied to the establishment group by default. School-level filtering policies these are policies which have been created at school level, through their SmartCache, and applied to users and configurable groups of users through unified sign-on authentication; individual workstations and groups of workstations based upon the IP addresses. LA-Level restricted categories these are categories which the LA, through consultation of the ICT Working Group, has decided should always be either blocked or unblocked across the LA regardless of individual school settings. Webfiltering Manager Person(s) provide with additional permissions with the ability to modify create new policy filter options for some websites and establish user/groups access.

2 General Overview of Stoke Grid for Learning Filtering The Stoke Grid for Learning Internet Web Filtering Policy has been developed to help schools ensure the safety of their pupils as they use the Internet, whilst at the same time retaining the flexibility needed for effective teaching and learning. Supervision and education of Internet users is as important as any software solution since the filtering of a school s Internet connection alone cannot guarantee the absolute safety of its pupils and staff. Filtering is, however, a necessary first step to ensure the school has taken all reasonable steps to protect pupils and staff. As a result, each school should use this Policy document in conjunction with the school s own Acceptable Use Policy to provide safe, but productive access to the Internet. The Stoke web filtering strategy incorporates the use of the RM SmartCache Filtering Solution which is described below. The RM SmartCache 2 is a caching system which enables you to access a wide range of online content faster, making better use of your available Internet bandwidth. It uses your school's Internet connection more effectively making fewer requests to the Internet and ensuring one class does not tie up the whole school's Internet bandwidth. Content can automatically update when the Internet is being used less, becoming instantly available and not requiring the Internet when it is being used. In addition, for Internet filtering, RM SafetyNet Universal and auditing tools, RM SmartTracker, ensure pupils are protected and kept safe whilst online, allowing teachers to focus on teaching. This also helps ensure that users are aware of and adhering to your e-safety policy. The SmartCache can be accessed via a secure web interface (below). Page 2 JW/12 November 2010

3 Filtering Policies 1. Global LA-level Filtering Policies SafetyNet Plus Establishments Categories RM IWF Child Abuse Images list Stoke LA Filter list RM Banned mp3 download list RM Banned.exe download list RM web based mail services list RM Web based social networking list RM web based chat list RM mobile phone/sms/ring tone list RM non educational games list RM pornography and illegal or age restricted activity list RM Violence List RM intolerance list RM Drugs and substance abuse list RM Proxy By Pass and secure search list LA Global top level filter categories (with exceptions) RM active adapt content filter Page 3 JW/12 November 2010

4 2. LA Establishment Filtering Policies In addition a number of LA Establishment filtering policies have been created to meet the varied needs of different establishments. The Establishment policies include: Primary Secondary Community Support Default Most of these policies are minor variants upon the standard default policies designed to allow or restrict access to one or two additional categories. Primary and Secondary: Schools will automatically have the appropriate establishment policy applied to the school s IP range. Community: For computers with specific IP ranges that are used solely for Community use activities, the much lighter controlled Community establishment can be applied. To request that a new community use facility of computers has this establishment profile applied, one of the two nominated webfiltering managers should please log a call with the RM helpdesk. While approval for this would normally be granted for the change, the school needs to be able to give specific assurances that the following criteria are met: The computers are not accessible by pupils; The computers have static IP addresses; The computers fall within a continuous block of sequential IP addresses; There is a named person given with responsibility for managing and monitoring the use of the computers. Support: For LA educational technical support teams. Default: For any other users of the educational WAN providing the most restricted use of the Internet. Page 4 JW/12 November 2010

5 SafetyNet Plus Establishments Primary Secondary Community Support Default Categories RM IWF Child Abuse Images list Stoke LA Filter list RM Banned mp3 download list RM Banned.exe download list but with exceptions RM web based mail services list ( not Easymail) ( not Easymail) ( not Easymail) ( not Easymail) RM Web based social networking list RM web based chat list RM mobile phone/sms/ring tone list RM non educational games list RM pornography and illegal or age restricted activity list RM Violence List RM intolerance list RM Drugs and substance abuse list RM Proxy By Pass and secure search list RM active adapt content filter Page 5 JW/12 November 2010

6 3. School-Level Filtering Through the introduction of the SmartCache schools now have the ability to apply to manage their own webfiltering. If this option is exercised then authorised users may create and apply policies at school level which allow access to categories of websites or specific website addresses (URLs) that are not permitted under the Default LA-level filtering policy but may however have educational merit in certain circumstances. N.B. Schools choosing to take up this option should realise that the risks of exposure to inappropriate content by pupils or abuse of the schools network are higher when pupils are permitted to access sites which would not be permitted under the Default LA-level filtering policy. As a result, schools implementing these options will need to ensure that consideration and risk assessments are made when blocking/unblocking sites and that correspondingly high levels of pupil supervision are used, when and where the Internet is being accessed. To take up this option Head teachers are requested to complete the Stoke-on-Trent Schools Webfiltering Responsibility Agreement Form and the Stoke-on-Trent Schools Filtering Manager nomination form both of which can be found at the end of this document. Some website categories will continue to be blocked at a whole authority level. These are defined as Global LA-Level restricted categories and these can be found on Page 3 of this document. The SmartCaches installed in schools have a default setting applied to them with a high level of restriction. Once responsibility forms have been received by the LA and the 2 nominated filtering managers have received training, then the password for the cache will be supplied to schools and settings can be changed. Page 6 JW/12 November 2010

7 Cache default settings For Students For Staff SafetyNet Establishments Primary Secondary Community Primary Secondary Community RM IWF Child Abuse Images list Stoke LA Filter list RM Banned mp3 download list RM Banned.exe download list but with exceptions but with exceptions but with exceptions RM web based mail services list (not Easymail) (not Easymail) RM Web based social networking list RM web based chat list RM mobile phone/sms/ring tone list RM non educational games list RM pornography and illegal or age restricted activity list RM Violence List RM intolerance list RM Drugs and substance abuse list RM Proxy By Pass and secure search list RM active adapt content filter Specific sites youtube ebay spotify Page 7 JW/12 November 2010

8 Stoke-on-Trent Schools SafetyNetPlus Internet Filtering Manager Nomination Form In order for your school to manage its own Internet Filtering you will need to nominate the members of staff who will act as the SafetyNetPlus filtering managers for your school. The first should be a member of the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for safeguarding and/or e-safety agenda(s). The second is likely to be the person who is responsible for managing the school network. By taking up this option you acknowledge that the risks of exposure to inappropriate content or abuse of the schools network are potentially higher than when accessing web sites normally filtered by the Stoke SafetyNetPlus filter policies and that you are taking on responsibility and liability for any inappropriate use. Rigorous approval and logging procedures should be in place and regularly reviewed to ensure the accounting of all filtering actions. Name of SLT Filtering Manager: Position within school: address: Daytime telephone number: Technical Filtering Manager: Position within school: address: Daytime telephone number: To be signed by the Head Teacher I authorise the above named persons to act on behalf of the school in all matters pertaining to the Schools SafetyNetPlus Filtering Service and I accept responsibility and liability for the consequences of any inappropriate use of the Internet or abuse of the school network by school staff, pupils or visitors. LA: Stoke-on-Trent School name: Head Teacher s name: address: I confirm that procedures for logging and approving filtering change requests are operational. Signed Date.. Please return the completed form to Judith Wildgoose, School Effectiveness Officer E-Learning Fax: or judith.wildgoose@stoke.gov.uk (scanned electronic signature required) Post to: Judith Wildgoose, CYPS, Floor 2, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1HH On receipt of both webfiltering forms the named contacts will be provided with details to securely access the web interface where they will be able to change webfiltering settings for your school. JW/12 November 2010

9 Stoke-on-Trent Schools Webfiltering Responsibility Agreement Form As part of the duty of care held by the Headteacher and Governors, e-safety is now recognised as requiring an appropriate standard of care. The Safeguarding and network security issues surrounding the use of the Internet by pupils, particularly around access to inappropriate sites and use for Cyberbullying activities, mean that it is essential that the LA and schools have rigorous and trackable procedures for mitigating against any risk as far as is possible. As such, in order for your school to accept responsibility for managing its own Internet Filtering, we require confirmation that the school has all the recommended webfiltering procedures in place. We confirm that: two trained nominated members of staff, as identified on the Filtering Manager Nomination Form, will act as the SafetyNetPlus filtering managers for your school. One should be a member of the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for safeguarding and/or e-safety agenda(s); the second is likely to be the person who is responsible for managing the school network. the cache password will remain confidential to the 2 named filtering managers and is only passed on under the knowledge and authorisation of the Headteacher; a clearly defined and shared process is in place: 1. to allow users to request sites to be blocked/unblocked; 2. for the technical filter manager to log the request, carry out a risk assessment and confirm the recommendation to the senior staff filtering manager; 3. for approval to be given by the senior staff filtering manager or for the matter to be taken to SLT for further discussion; 4. to log the outcome, make the change as appropriate and report back to the requester; 5. for a report to go to Governors regarding any potentially contentious sites being unblocked. As the webfiltering is one element of ensuring that e-safety practices are secure, we would also ask that you confirm that additional elements are in place to safeguard your pupils under what could be a much less restricted Internet experience. We confirm that: e-safety policies are regularly reviewed and updated in light of new technologies; the effectiveness of e-safety policies and training are monitored, to ensure e-safe practice by staff and pupils is demonstrated consistently; any e-safety incidents that arise are consistently dealt with, recorded and included as part of the annual Safeguarding report to Governors. By taking up this option you acknowledge that the risks of exposure to inappropriate content or abuse of the schools network are potentially higher than when accessing web sites normally filtered by the Stoke SafetyNetPlus filter policies and that you are taking on responsibility and liability for any inappropriate use. School name: Headteacher signed: Date: Chair of Governors signed: Date: Please return the completed form to Judith Wildgoose, School Effectiveness Officer E-Learning Fax: or judith.wildgoose@stoke.gov.uk (scanned electronic signature required) Post to: Judith Wildgoose, CYPS, Floor 2, Civic Centre, Glebe Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 1HH On receipt of both webfiltering forms the named contacts will be provided with details to securely access the web interface where they will be able to change webfiltering settings for your school. JW/12 November 2010