St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School

Transcription

1 St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School E-Safety Policy Prepared by: Tom Ferguson Created: February 2012 Date of next intended review: February 2013 Approved by Full Governing Body on:

2 MISSION STATEMENT St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School is rooted in the local Catholic community with which it shares beliefs and values. Christ is the way, the truth and the life. Our school is a welcoming Christ-centred community, committed to the development of faith and worship. Our mission is to provide a loving and stimulating environment, where all are inspired and empowered to achieve their true potential as unique and valued individuals. Our children will be encouraged to develop an awareness and respect of others as well as themselves, as we all journey through life with Christ. Page 2 of 25

3 Policy Contents 1. Introduction 2. Accessibility 3. Writing and Reviewing the e-safety Policy 4. The Importance of Internet Use in the Primary Curriculum 5. The Benefits of Using the Internet in Education 6. Using the Internet to Enhance Learning 7. Education -pupils 8. Introducing the e-safety Policy to KS2 Pupils 9. Training - staff - governors - Parents / carers 10. Technical - infrastructure - equipment - filtering - monitoring The Management of Web Site Content 13. The Safety of Chat Rooms on the VLE 14. Mobile Phones 15. The Authorisation of Internet Access 16. Recording internet misuse and sanctions 17. Roles and Responsibilities - Governors - Head teacher and Senior Leadership team - Network manager/ technician - Teaching and support staff - Designated child protection officer - Pupils - Parents/carers - Community user Appendices 1: Acceptable Use Agreement Pupils 2: Acceptable Use Agreement Staff, Governor and Visitor 3: Staff Guidance on Staying safe with use of New Technologies 4: Rules for use of ICT equipment and the Internet Page 3 of 25

4 1. Introduction St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect children and support them in school. The aim of this policy is to safeguard and promote our staff and pupils safe use of the internet and electronic communication technology such as mobile phones and wireless connectivity. This policy will highlight the need to educate children and young people about the benefits and risks of using new technologies both in and away from school. It will also provide safeguards and rules to guide staff, pupils and visitors in their online experiences. The school e-safety policy will operate in conjunction with others including: Behaviour, Anti-Bullying, Equal Opportunities and Acceptable Use Agreements. 2. Accessibility As a school with a distinctive Christian Ethos we aim to live by the values revealed to us through the Gospels: we are all precious in God s sight. With this in mind each member of the school community will show love and respect for one another and respond to each others needs. At all times and in all areas of school life every reasonable measure will be taken to ensure that each member of this school community is enabled to participate as fully as possible, and achieve success and recognition appropriate to age, understanding and ability. 3. Writing and Reviewing the e-safety Policy Our Internet Policy has been written by the school, building on the Wakefield e-safety guidance for schools and government guidance. It has been agreed by the senior management and approved by governors. It will be reviewed annually. Relevant Roles in school: ICT Co-ordinator: Mr. Tom Ferguson e-safety Co-ordinator: Mr. Tom Ferguson ICT Technical Support: Mr. Mark Haddleton (St. Wilfrid s Catholic High School) Designated Child Protection Officer: Mrs. Lesley Darren (Headteacher) Deputy Designated Child Protection Officer: Miss Tina Barry (Deputy Headteacher) Page 4 of 25

5 Designated Child Protection Governor: Mrs. Carmen Pearce Chair of Governors: Mrs. Carmen Pearce 4. The Importance of Internet Use The purpose of Internet use in school is to raise educational standards, to promote pupil achievement, to support the professional work of staff and to enhance the school s management information and business administration systems. Internet use is a part of the statutory curriculum and a necessary tool for staff and pupils. Its use is no longer an add-on; it is an integral part of educational and professional life. Internet access is an entitlement for students who show a responsible and mature approach to its use. The Internet is an essential element in education, business and social interaction; learning how to harness this resource appropriately is a necessary life skill. Therefore the school has a duty to provide students with quality Internet access as part of their learning experience. 5. The Benefits of Using the Internet in Education Access to world-wide educational resources. Educational and cultural exchanges between pupils world-wide. Cultural, vocational, social and leisure use in libraries, locations with wireless internet access, and at home. Access to experts in many fields for pupils and staff. Staff professional development through access to national developments, educational materials and good curriculum practice. Communication with support services, professional associations and colleagues. Access to school resources and secure personal data. Exchange of curriculum and administration data with the LEA and DfE. 6. Using the Internet to Enhance Learning The school Internet access will be designed expressly for pupil use and will include filtering appropriate to the age of pupils, monitored by the Yorkshire and Humberside Grid for Learning (YHGfL). Pupils will be taught what is acceptable and what is not acceptable and given clear guidance for safe and appropriate Internet use. Internet access will be planned to enrich and extend learning activities. Access levels will be reviewed to reflect the curriculum requirements and age of pupils. Staff should guide pupils in on-line activities that will support the learning outcomes planned for the pupils age and maturity. Page 5 of 25

6 Pupils will be educated in the effective use of the Internet in research, including the skills of knowledge location, retrieval and evaluation. 7. Education pupils Whilst regulation and technical solutions are very important, their use must be balanced by educating pupils to take a responsible approach. The education of pupils in e-safety is therefore an essential part of the school s e-safety provision. Children and young people need the help and support of the school to recognise and avoid e-safety risks and build their resilience. e-safety education will be provided in the following ways: An e-safety programme will be delivered each February in conjunction with the Insafe Safer Internet Day. o This will cover both the use of ICT and new technologies in school and outside school. Pupils will be taught in all lessons to be critically aware of the materials / content they access on-line and be guided to validate the accuracy of information by the class teacher. Pupils will be helped to understand the pupil Acceptable Use Policy. Rules for use of ICT systems / internet will be posted in all rooms with ICT equipment. Staff should be aware they are role models in their use of ICT, the internet and mobile devices. 8. Introducing the e-safety Policy to Pupils Pupils must apply for Internet access annually by agreeing to abide by the Acceptable Use Agreement. (see appendix 1). This will be sent home to parents/carers to make them aware of agreement. Rules for use of ICT systems / internet will be posted in all rooms with ICT equipment. Pupils will be informed that Internet use will be monitored. Instruction in responsible and safe use should precede Internet access. An e-safety programme will be delivered each February in conjunction with the Insafe Safer Internet Day. o This will cover both the use of ICT and new technologies in school and outside school. 9. Training - Staff Page 6 of 25

7 It is essential that all staff receive e-safety training and understand their responsibilities, as outlined in this policy. Training will be offered as follows: A planned programme of formal e-safety training will be made available to staff through staff meetings and Support staff meetings led by the e-safety coordinator. An audit of the e-safety training needs of all staff will be carried out annually. All new staff should receive e-safety guidance as part of their induction programme, ensuring that they fully understand the school e-safety policy and Acceptable Use Policies. e-safety policy and its updates will be presented to and discussed by staff in staff meetings or INSET days when appropriate. The e-safety Coordinator will provide advice / guidance / training as required to individuals as required. In addition: All staff will be asked to accept the terms of the Staff, Governors and Visitors Acceptable Use Agreement statement before using any Internet resource in school. (see appendix 2) All staff including teachers, supply staff, classroom assistants and support staff, will be provided with the School Internet Policy, and its importance explained. Staff should be aware that Internet traffic can be monitored and traced to the individual user. Discretion and professional conduct is essential. The monitoring of Internet use is a sensitive matter. Staff who operate monitoring procedures should be supervised by senior management. Staff development in the safe and responsible Internet use and on school Internet policy will be provided as required. - Governors It is essential that governors of the school are familiar with the e-safety policy and understand their responsibilities in the safeguarding of children. This may be offered in a number of ways: The e-safety Coordinator will update the Full Governing body annually to ensure that they accept and fully understand the school e-safety policy and Acceptable Use Agreements. All Governors who may be in contact with the schools ICT systems will be asked to accept the terms of the Staff, Governors and Visitors Acceptable Use Agreement statement before using any Internet resource in school. ( see appendix 2) Page 7 of 25

8 - Parents /Carers Many parents and carers have a limited understanding of e-safety risks and issues, yet they play an essential role in the education of their children and in the monitoring / regulation of the children s on-line experiences. Parents often either underestimate or do not realise how often children and young people come across potentially harmful and inappropriate material on the internet and are often unsure about what they would do about it. In order to help bridge this gap, the school will; provide e-safety advice and guidance in the form of Letters, newsletters, web based information on the school website and the VLE. invite parents to attend an annual assembly based around Safer Internet Day. ask and encourage parents and carers to countersign the Pupil Acceptable Use Policy to demonstrate a partnership with the school in the area of safeguarding children on the internet. 10. Technical -Infrastructure The school will be responsible for ensuring that the school infrastructure / network is as safe and secure as is reasonably possible and that policies and procedures approved within this policy are implemented. School ICT systems will be managed in ways that ensures that the school meets any e- safety technical requirements and Acceptable Use Policy and any relevant Local Authority e-safety Policy and guidance. There will be regular reviews and audits of the safety and security of school ICT systems carried out by the e-safety coordinator and ICT technician. Usernames and passwords will be issued to children and staff for access to the network. Recording of this will be the responsibility of the ICT coordinator and the Network technician. The administrator passwords for the school ICT system, used by the Network Manager must also be available to the Head teacher and ICT coordinator and kept in a secure place. The school should never allow one user to have sole administrator access. Users will be made responsible for the security of their username and password. Users will be made aware through their lessons the importance of keeping this vital piece of personal information safe and not share or reveal it to anyone. They must not allow other users to access the systems using their log on details and must immediately report any suspicion or evidence that this is occurring to the e-safety coordinator. Appropriate and relevant security measures are in place to protect the servers, firewalls, routers, wireless systems, work stations, hand held devices etc from accidental or malicious attempts which might threaten the security of the school systems and data which are monitored by the EdIT technician. The school infrastructure and individual workstations are protected by up to date virus software (currently Sophos) Page 8 of 25

9 -Equipment Servers, wireless systems and cabling must be securely located and physical access restricted. Staff should be vigilant when carrying personal data re: staff or pupils on memory sticks or other portable storage devices. Staff should not install any programmes onto school laptops at home without prior permission from the Head teacher/ ICT coordinator. Staff should not allow other members of the family to use their school laptop at home for inappropriate activities which would not be deemed acceptable by the Head teacher. Where staff are using a home wireless internet connection with school laptops, every effort should be made to ensure the connection is encrypted using a WEP/network key. -Filtering Filtering strategies will be selected by the school in discussion with the filtering provider where appropriate. Where possible, the filtering strategy will be selected to suit the age and curriculum requirements of the pupil. Any filtering issues should be reported immediately to the EdIT centre. If staff discover unsuitable sites, the URL (web address) and content must be reported to EdIT via the ICT coordinator or EdIT technician. A record should be kept in the ICT coordinators file. Pupils should understand to report anything inappropriate, or that makes them feel unsafe, that they come across whist using the internet to a member of staff. Requests from staff for sites to be removed or added from the filtered feed will be considered by the Head teacher and ICT coordinator in school. -Monitoring Personal or pupil data should not be sent over the internet or taken off the school site unless safely encrypted or otherwise secured as outlined in this policy and should be monitored by the e-safety coordinator. The school will need to ensure that the relevant people named in the Writing and Reviewing the Internet Policy section will be effective in carrying out their e-safety responsibilities by meeting when necessary to discuss any issues Pupils may only use approved accounts on the school system. Pupils must immediately tell a teacher if they receive inappropriate . Pupils must not reveal personal details about themselves or others, such as address or telephone numbers, or arrange to meet anyone through online communications Page 9 of 25

10 including communication. This policy should also be promoted as part of their learning for outside the school environment. sent to an external organisation should be written carefully and authorised before sending, in the same way as a letter written on school headed paper. The forwarding of chain s is not permitted. Staff should only use their school-provided account when dealing with school business, unless circumstances prevent this and then logged with the Headteacher or ICT coordinator. 12. The Management of Web Site and VLE Content The point of contact on the Web site should be the school address, school and telephone number. Staff or pupils home information will not be publically published. Website photographs that include pupils will be selected carefully and will only include photographs of children whose parents/carers have indicated that they give written permission. Pupils full names will not be used anywhere on the Web site, particularly associated with photographs. The ICT coordinator and Chair of Governors will take overall editorial responsibility and ensure content is accurate and appropriate. The copyright of all material must be held by the school, or be attributed to the owner where permission to reproduce has been obtained. 13. The Safety of Chat on the VLE Pupils will not be allowed access to public or unregulated chat rooms. Children should use only regulated educational chat environments on the school VLE. This use will always be supervised within lessons and the importance of chat room safety emphasised. 14. Mobile Phones The use of mobile phones by pupils is prohibited during school hours. If pupils require a mobile phone for after school activities they should leave it in an agreed secure place. Photographs of staff and pupils should not be taken using mobile phones by pupils or members of staff without authorisation from the Headteacher and in this event transferred to the school system as soon as practicable. Page 10 of 25

11 15. The Authorisation of Internet Access Parents and pupils will be asked annually to agree to and sign the schools acceptable use agreement (appendix 1). 16. Recording internet misuse and sanctions Responsibility for handling incidents will be delegated to the ICT coordinator and Head Teacher. Any complaint about staff misuse must be referred to the Head teacher who will refer to the school s disciplinary policy. Parents and pupils will need to work in partnership with staff to resolve issues. Sanctions include: interview by Head teacher ; informing parents or carers; removal of facility for a period; removal of internet or computer access for a period (which could prevent access to school work held on the system). 17. Roles and Responsibilities -Governors Governors are responsible for the approval of the e-safety Policy and for reviewing the effectiveness of the policy. This will be carried out by the Governors Pupils and Standards committee, receiving regular information about e-safety incidents and monitoring reports. A member of the Governing Body should take on the role of e-safety. The role of the e-safety Governor will include: regular meetings with the safeguarding coordinator regular monitoring of e-safety incident logs regular monitoring of filtering / change control logs reporting to relevant Governors committee / meeting -Head teacher and Senior Leadership team Page 11 of 25

12 The Head teacher is responsible for ensuring the safety (including e-safety) of members of the school community, though the day to day responsibility for e-safety will be delegated to the e-safety Co-ordinator. The Head teacher / Senior Leaders are responsible for ensuring that the e-safety Coordinator and other relevant staff receive suitable CPD to enable them to carry out their e-safety roles and to train other colleagues, as relevant The Head teacher / Senior Leaders will ensure that there is a system in place to allow for monitoring and support of those in school who carry out the internal e-safety monitoring role. This is to provide a safety net and also support to those colleagues who take on important monitoring roles The Senior Leadership Team / Senior Management Team will receive regular monitoring reports from the e-safety Co-ordinator The Head teacher and another member of the Senior Leadership Team should be aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a serious e-safety allegation being made against a member of staff -e-safety Coordinator leads on e-safety takes day to day responsibility for e-safety issues and has a leading role in establishing and reviewing the school e-safety policies. ensures that all staff are aware of the procedures that need to be followed in the event of an e-safety incident taking place. provides training and advice for staff liaises with the Local Authority liaises with school ICT technical staff receives reports of e-safety incidents and creates a log of incidents to inform future e- safety developments ensures that the safeguarding governor has the opportunity to see log of any e-safety incidents. attends relevant committee of Governors reports regularly to Senior Leadership Team -Network Manager / Technical staff The EdIT Network Manager is responsible for ensuring: that the school s ICT infrastructure is secure and is not open to misuse or malicious attack. that users may only access the school s networks through a properly enforced password protection policy. that he / she keeps up to date with e-safety technical information in order to effectively carry out their e-safety role and to inform and update others as relevant. Page 12 of 25

13 that the use of the network / Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) / remote access / is regularly monitored in order that any misuse / attempted misuse can be reported to the e-safety Co-ordinator and or Head teacher. -Teaching and Support Staff are responsible for ensuring that: they have an up to date awareness of e-safety matters and of the current school e- safety policy and practices. they have read, understood and signed the school Staff Acceptable Use Agreement. they report any suspected misuse or problem to the e-safety Co-ordinator or head teacher for investigation. digital communications with pupils and parents/carers ( / Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) should be on a professional level and only carried out using official school systems. e-safety issues are embedded in all aspects of the curriculum and other school activities. pupils understand and follow the school e-safety and acceptable use policy. pupils have a good understanding of research skills and the need to avoid plagiarism and uphold copyright regulations. they monitor ICT activity in lessons, extra curricular and extended school activities they are aware of e-safety issues related to the use of mobile phones, cameras and hand held devices and that they monitor their use and implement current school policies with regard to these devices. in lessons where internet use is pre-planned pupils should be guided to sites checked as suitable for their use and that processes are in place for dealing with any unsuitable material that is found in internet searches. Designated Child Protection Officer He/she should be trained in e-safety issues and be aware of the potential for serious child protection issues to arise from: sharing of personal data access to illegal / inappropriate materials inappropriate on-line contact with adults / strangers potential or actual incidents of grooming cyber-bullying -Students / pupils: are responsible for using the school ICT systems in accordance with the Pupil Acceptable Use Agreement, which they will be expected to sign before being given access to school systems. have a good understanding of research skills and the need to avoid plagiarism and uphold copyright regulations. Page 13 of 25

14 need to understand the importance of reporting abuse, misuse or access to inappropriate materials and know how to do so. will be expected to know and understand school policies on the use of mobile phones, digital cameras and hand held devices. They should also know and understand school policies on the taking / use of images and on cyber-bullying. should understand the importance of adopting good e-safety practice when using digital technologies out of school and realise that the school s e-safety Policy covers their actions out of school, if related to their membership of the school. Parents / Carers Parents / Carers play a crucial role in ensuring that their children understand the need to use the internet / mobile devices in an appropriate way. Research shows that many parents and carers do not fully understand the issues and are less experienced in the use of ICT than their children. The school will therefore provide opportunities to help parents understand these issues through e-safety assemblies, newsletters, letters, website / VLE and information about national / local e-safety campaigns / literature. Parents and carers will be responsible for: endorsing (by signature) the Pupil Acceptable Use Policy. accessing the school website / VLE in accordance with the relevant school Acceptable Use Policy. -Community User Community Users who access school ICT systems / website / VLE as part of the Extended School provision will be expected to sign a Community User AUP before being provided with access to school systems. Page 14 of 25

15 Appendices Page 15 of 25

16 Appendix 1 St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Pupil Acceptable ICT Use Agreement Parents/carers of pupils should read and discuss this with their child. It should then be signed, dated and returned to school where it will be countersigned by a member of staff. Thank you for your co-operation. I will only use ICT in school for school purposes. I will only use my own school address when ing in school. I will only open attachments from people I know, or who my teacher has approved. I will not tell other people my passwords. I will only open/delete my own files. I will make sure that all ICT communication (including s) will be appropriate and polite. I will not deliberately look for, save or send anything that could offend others. If I accidentally find anything inappropriate on the internet I will tell my teacher or parent immediately. I will not give out my personal details such as my name, phone number, home address or school over the internet. I will be responsible for my behaviour when using ICT in school or at home because I know that these rules are to keep me safe. I will never arrange to meet someone I have met on the internet without checking with an adult. I know that my use of ICT can be checked and that my parent or carer will be contacted if a member of school staff is concerned about my safety. I will not take part in any cyber bullying. I will also report anything I see or hear about cyber bullying to an adult at school or home immediately. Page 16 of 25

17 Pupil name (printed) Pupil Signature Date Parent/Carer Signature Date Staff Signature Date Page 17 of 25

18 Appendix 2 St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Staff, Governor and Visitor Acceptable ICT Use Agreement ICT and the related technologies such as , the internet and mobile devices are an expected part of our daily working life in school. This policy is to help ensure that all staff are aware of their professional responsibilities when using any form of ICT and to help keep staff, governors and visitors safe. All staff are expected to sign this policy confirming their undertaking to adhere to its contents at all times. Any concerns or clarification should be discussed with the ICT coordinator and the Head teacher. I will only use the school s / Internet / VLE and any related technologies for professional purposes or for uses deemed reasonable by the Head teacher or Governing Body. I will comply with the ICT system security and not disclose any passwords provided to me by the school or other related authorities. I will ensure that all electronic communications with pupils and staff are compatible with my professional role. I will not give out my own personal details, such as mobile phone number or personal address, to pupils. I will only use the approved system for any communications with pupils, parents and other school related activities. The official school services (YHGfL & RM Easymail) are regarded as safe and secure. Therefore I will try to use only the school service to communicate with others when in school or regarding school matters. I will ensure that personal data (such as data held on the administration system) is kept secure and is used appropriately. I will not install any hardware or software on school equipment without the permission of the ICT coordinator or the Head teacher. I will report any accidental access to inappropriate materials immediately to the e-safety coordinator. I will not browse, download, upload or distribute any material that could be considered offensive, illegal or discriminatory. Page 18 of 25

19 Images of pupils and/ or staff will only be taken, stored and used for professional purposes in line with data protection policy and with written consent of the parent, carer or staff member. Images will not be distributed outside the school network without the permission of the parent/ carer, member of staff or Head teacher in line with data security policy. I understand that all my use of the Internet and other related technologies can be monitored and logged and can be made available to the Head teacher. I will respect copyright and intellectual property rights. I will ensure that my online activity, both in school and outside school, will not bring my professional role into disrepute. This includes ignoring invitations from pupils to become friends on social networking sites such as Facebook. I will support and promote the school s e-safety policy and help pupils to be safe and responsible in their use of ICT and related technologies. User Signature I agree to follow this acceptable use policy and to support the safe use of ICT throughout the school Signature Date Full Name (printed) Page 19 of 25

20 Appendix 3 St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Staff Guidance on Staying safe with use of New Technologies Acknowledgement This document has been adapted for use within St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School from the Wakefield Schools Advice which was adapted from the original document Safer Practice with Technology for Adults working in schools produced by Kent Public Service Network Questions Q1 Can I use my mobile phone to take photographs or video of students? Photography by pupils and staff are encouraged for curriculum use and are an essential part of any school visit, but there are potential dangers. The safest approach is to avoid the use of personal equipment and to use a school-provided item. A potential danger is an allegation that an adult has taken an inappropriate photograph. With a personal camera it would be more difficult for the adult to show that this was not the case. With school equipment there is at least a demonstration that the photography was consistent with school policy. It is important that the Guidance on the Use of Photographic Images of Children is referred to Care should also be taken that photographs are stored appropriately. For instance to copy the photograph on to a personal laptop as opposed to a school allocated laptop might make it difficult to retain control of how the picture is used. Memory cards, memory sticks and CDs should only provide a temporary storage medium. Once photographs are uploaded to the appropriate area of the school network images should be erased immediately from their initial storage location. Q2 Should I continue to use my Social Networking site? Page 20 of 25

21 Social networking is a normal part of life for most young people and many adults. However, adults working with children and young people should review and reflect upon their use of social network sites as they take on professional responsibilities. This includes checking back on redundant sites that may still be active. Strong passwords should be used and security settings should be applied so that you control all access to your profile. Once Information is published, (photographs, blog posts etc) you lose control of them and they may be manipulated without your consent, used out of context, inappropriately or distributed further. What might seem an amusing remark posted about your school or colleagues may end up republished elsewhere by friends. False social networking sites have been set up by pupils and staff with malicious information. Currently few public social networking sites authenticate their members and use automated registration systems which provide limited if any checks. Some instant messaging applications such as MSN have a facility to keep a log of conversations. Don t publish or say anything online that you would not write down and display on the staff room notice board! Q3 Is it alright to have pupils/students as friends on my social network site or instant messaging service? Communication between adults and children/young people, by whatever method, should take place within clear and explicit professional boundaries. Staff should not share any personal information with a child or young person. They should not request, or respond to, any personal information from the child / young person, other than that which might be appropriate as part of their professional role. Therefore, requests to be a friend on any social network site should be ignored. Adults should ensure that all communications are transparent and open to scrutiny. (DCSF Nov 2007) For example ensuring all communications by all parties, use official school or Learning Platform systems and is purely for teaching and learning purposes. Consideration should be given as to how communications might appear to a third party. Compared with a conversation in school the use of new technology inevitably increases the potential for messages to be seen out of context or misinterpreted. Staff must use an online environment which is under the school s or Local Authority s control. The first requirement is that you know who you are talking to; users must be authenticated. A School/Local Authority/RBC provided communication and collaboration area will have a range of security features set within a policy framework. Q4 What is my responsibility for the use of my school laptop at home? Access to wider sites by family members, for instance accessing gaming site or less well known shopping sites will increase the risk of virus attack, unwanted adware and identity theft. If another member of the family or a friend is allowed to use the computer it is difficult to ensure that the use has been appropriate, for instance that confidential information has not been accessed. Adults views vary enormously in their judgements as to what is appropriate! Page 21 of 25

22 The use of a school laptop to view adult material outside school hours and at home is inappropriate and may be illegal. The schools acceptable use policy should clearly state what is acceptable. There are cases where inappropriate access has led to dismissal. School staff need to remember that in order for anyone else to use a school laptop in the home setting, they would need to be logged on by the person responsible for the laptop. School staff should therefore ensure that they have absolute control of a school laptop allocated to their use. Q5 What is inappropriate material? Inappropriate is a term that can mean different things to different people. It is important to differentiate between inappropriate and illegal and inappropriate but legal. All staff should be aware that in the former case investigation may lead to criminal investigation, prosecution, dismissal and barring. In the latter it can still lead to disciplinary action, dismissal and barring even if there is no criminal prosecution. Illegal Possessing or distributing indecent images of a person under 18 viewing such images on-line may well constitute possession even if not saved. What is regarded as indecent would ultimately be down to a jury to decide. The police have a grading system for different types of indecent image. Remember that children may be harmed or coerced into posing for such images and are therefore victims of child sexual abuse. Hate/Harm/Harassment There is a range of offences to do with inciting hatred on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation etc. Individual: There are particular offences to do with harassing or threatening individuals this includes bullying by mobile phone, social networking sites etc (cyber bullying). It is an offence to send indecent, offensive or threatening messages with the purpose of causing the recipient distress or anxiety. Inappropriate Think about this in respect of professionalism and being a role model. The scope here is enormous, but bear in mind that: actions outside of the workplace that could be so serious as to fundamentally breach the trust and confidence placed in the employee (SPS 2004) may constitute gross misconduct. Some possible examples: Posting offensive or insulting comments about the school on Facebook. Accessing adult pornography on school computers during break. Making derogatory comments about pupils or colleagues on social networking sites. Contacting pupils by personal or social networking sites without senior approval. Q6 How should I store personal data safely? Teachers often find it convenient to write pupil reports or staff appraisals and references at home. This may require access to confidential personal information. Page 22 of 25

23 Family Services and e-services are working on providing practical guidance for schools in keeping data secure. Guidance on Information security can be found at All personal information must be kept secure. Making such storage secure may include password protection, encryption of data and locking the computer when not in use. Please refer to the guidance document on information security referred to above and your ICT support service. The mislaying of memory sticks is all too common. Even the use of encrypted memory sticks should only be seen as temporary storage of personal data, and only if necessary and ensuring files are deleted after use. The safest long-term storage location may be the school network or. Information security is an integral part of the Data Protection Act You must take all reasonable steps to ensure that any personal information that you are processing is securely stored. All staff are strongly advised to ensure that they understand the school policy regarding data protection. All schools should have a data protection policy. Q7 How can I use ICT appropriately to communicate with young people? Using ICT to communicate with pupils/young people should be done through the school s Learning Platform in an appropriate online open shared environment such as a class forum. Friendly verbal banter between adult and pupil may not be inappropriate, but it might look very different if carried out via and might lead to difficulties if misinterpreted, forwarded or used out of context. See Q3 On no account should staff use their personal addresses, social networking sites or phone numbers/texts to communicate with young people. If ing pupils use only your school provided account. Q8 As a technician, how can I safely monitor school network use? Filtering is provided by YHGFL for schools in Wakefield. If the school has monitoring software in place for recording network activity, this can only be effective if monitored carefully to notice and report inappropriate access or usage. This is a senior responsibility and will require oversight and allocated time of a senior member of staff. Leaving this role solely to a technician in school is not adequate and the responsibility can become onerous if a pupil or staff member is apparently implicated in inappropriate or illegal activity. Careful consideration about the use of monitoring software should be given and all staff and pupils informed if applied to the network. Educating pupils/young people about appropriate online behaviour in school and outside school be an integral part of teaching and learning programmes. It is wrong to assume that filtering and monitoring are simply technical ICT activities, solely managed by the network staff. Some technical staff have indeed taken on this wider responsibility to help ensure that ICT use is appropriate and beneficial. However technical staff should not be expected to make judgements as to what is inappropriate material or behaviour, without support and supervision. Page 23 of 25

24 Monitoring policy must be set by the senior leadership team, with set procedures to deal with incidents. The senior leadership team will require assistance from technical staff, but must also involve the school designated child protection coordinator and pastoral staff. A technician might, with the best of intent, check sites that a user has visited and images to alert a colleague. Should the images prove to be illegal the technician has committed a criminal offence. A defence may be that the technician was acting within a published school procedure, but staff should ensure that they receive a specific, written request to perform this work. Should an incident of concern occur, there should be a clear route for immediate reporting to a senior leader. Procedures to preserve evidence by unplugging a computer or locking an account need to be in place. If in doubt Consult with your line manager and school policies. Consider how an action would look to a third party. Only publish content that you would be happy to share with parents, pupils and your employer. Links to e-safety and information security dchildren/default.html e-safety course on the Learning Platform (VLE) Page 24 of 25

25 Appendix 4 Rules for using ICT and the Internet in school 1. Only use your school address. 2. Only open attachments from people you know. 3. Never tell others your passwords. 4. Make sure s you send are polite and appropriate. 5. Never give out your phone number, address or personal details. 6. Never arrange to meet someone you have met only on the internet. 7. Tell an adult if you find anything upsetting or inappropriate on the internet. 8. Cyber bullying will not be tolerated; report it to an adult immediately. Page 25 of 25