St Michael s Primary School ICT School Policy Data Protection and E Safety FGB 2013
St. Michael s C.E. Primary School Policy Information Communication Technology This policy document sets out St Michael's School s aims, principles and strategies for the delivery of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This policy was reviewed in the Spring term 2013 by the IT Co-ordinator and teaching staff and will be reviewed at regular intervals and updated as necessary by the IT Co-ordinator. We interpret the term Information Communication Technology to include the use of any equipment, which allows users to communicate or manipulate information electronically: this includes all computers and associated equipment belonging to the school, whether part of the school's integrated network or stand-alone, or taken offsite such as laptops and cameras. All members of staff, students on placement, supply teachers etc. must sign a copy of our Acceptable Use policy before a system login is granted or equipment such as a laptop or camera is assigned to a teacher. All children must be made aware through class discussion of all the important issues relating to acceptable use, especially the monitoring of Internet use; children will also need to sign a Pupil Acceptable Use Policy. St. Michael s Primary School recognises the importance of e-safety and encourages a whole school shared responsibility by all stakeholders. The Significance of Information and Communication Technology St Michael s use the 2014 National Curriculum Year Group expectations for the Computing Curriculum. As well as being an important curriculum requirement, the ability to use IT effectively is a vital life skill. ICT prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technology. Increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with pupils being able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to best effect. The School s Aims The overall aim is to produce learners who are confident and effective users of Information Communication Technology and to ensure that teachers develop confidence and competence to use Information Communication Technology to facilitate effective teaching. Pupils should be given opportunities to: Use ICT with purpose and enjoyment by providing tasks which are interesting and give scope for individual responsibility. Develop their ICT capability - by ensuring access to ICT resources. Become autonomous users by planning activities which allow children opportunities to apply their skills in a variety of contexts. Evaluate the benefits of ICT and its impact on society
Meet the requirements of the National Curriculum as fully as possible and help all pupils achieve the highest possible standards of achievement by planning activities which allow different levels of achievement or incorporate possible extension work. Celebrate success in the use of ICT; create the atmosphere and levels of resource to encourage all members of school community to learn with ICT by raising the profile of ICT in the school and by providing a continuous programme of staff development. In all Key Stages, the children will be provided with an age-related curriculum for e-safety that enables pupils to become safe, responsible users of new technologies. Cross Curricular use of Information Communication Technology ICT is a powerful tool, which can be used to enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum, challenging the most able while supporting those with learning difficulties. Pupils will be taught and given opportunities to consolidate skills through highly motivating crosscurricular activities. This will be achieved as follows: ICT is incorporated in the planning of each subject scheme of work; promoted by subject coordinators. Topic planning forms include a section which highlights how ICT is to be used and at what level. When planning lessons involving the use of ICT, teachers identify activities in which the emphasis is on both the development of ICT skills and the subject being supported. During key stage 1, as part of the National Curriculum, pupils will explore ICT and learn to use it confidently and with purpose to achieve specific outcomes. They will start to use ICT to develop their ideas and record their creative work. They will become familiar with hardware and software. During key stage 2, as part of the National Curriculum, pupils will use a wider range of ICT tools and information sources to support their work in other subjects. They will develop their research skills and decide what information is appropriate for their work. They will begin to question the plausibility and quality of information. They will learn how to amend their work and present it in a way that suits its audience. Early Years The positive and noticeable benefits of young children using a computer are similar to those of the older pupil. Thinking and problem solving skills are developed through a structured focus which is stimulating and linked to other activities. However, ICT in the Early Years should also reflect the use of technology in everyday life and be included in opportunities for role play. The ICT Co-ordinator will work with the Early Years Co-ordinator to ensure that resources are appropriate to the needs of the pupils in order to enhance life skills and support the six areas of the Desirable Outcomes.
Curriculum Management The ICT Co-ordinator will ensure that resources are distributed and effectively timetabled when appropriate and facilitate the use of Information Communication Technology in the following ways: In collaboration with school management team, ensure implementation of school s 3 year development plan. By updating the Policy and Scheme of Work in line with the new Creative Curriculum. Currently, we will base our ICT scheme of work on Somerset e-learning Progression documents, which cover Foundation to Year 6 and includes age-related e-safety curriculum Identifying the need to update resources By co-ordinating and/or providing INSET To keep staff abreast of new developments By providing support to enable staff to develop their pupils capability Monitoring the ICT curriculum and the quality of teaching and learning. Oversee and maintain records of software licences Encourage the use of our on-line learning environment, Fronter, for staff development and storage of relevant school documents. Equal Opportunities All pupils, regardless of race, gender, culture or disability shall have the opportunities to develop their ICT capability. The school will promote equal opportunities for computer usage and fairness of distribution of ICT resources. Children with a computer at home are encouraged to use it for educational benefit and to share their experiences in school; they should be encouraged to use the school's learning platform: Fronter. Provision for Special Educational Needs Pupils with Special Educational Needs can benefit from using ICT as it enhances access to the curriculum, and this in turn encourages motivation and the development of skills. ICT resources in the school will reflect the needs of all our students and the ICT co-ordinator will work with the Special Needs Co-ordinator to develop a portfolio of ICT resources to support the needs of specific children in the school.
Assessment It must be remembered that the process more than the outcome is the important issue when assessing IT. Wherever possible assessment will be planned into schemes of work and will be used both formatively and diagnostically, helping teachers to meet the developmental needs of each pupil. The use of many IT packages encourages collaborative work. Pupils will work in groups whenever appropriate. The group mix will vary according to the activity. Consideration should be given as to whether groups will need to be of mixed or similar ability. Class portfolios should be encouraged. Differentiation in set tasks, as well as the outcome from pupils will enable the teacher to assess whether a pupil needs extra time to consolidate skills or whether the pupil is ready to acquire more. National Curriculum levels will be assigned to pupils at the end of each year and handed to the subject coordinator and Head Teacher. Internet When the Internet is being used, then the School s Acceptable Use Policy will always be strictly adhered to. (see separate AUPs). Monitoring and Review Monitoring is carried out by the Head Teacher and the ICT Co-ordinator, in the following ways: Informal discussion with staff and pupils Observation of ICT displays Collection of children s work with examples of ICT work which supports the curriculum in a cross curricular way. Observation of children s work on their individual on-line learning storage spaces (Fronter and Purple Mash) Observations of the teaching of ICT Pupil interviews Teachers will encourage children to save only good examples of pieces of work which can be used in ICT portfolios. Liaise with System Administrator and technical support staff to ensure smooth running of system. Storage and system efficiency Any photos, sound clips or video clips should be stored on the Media drive so that the main system does not get 'clogged up'. Music must not be downloaded and saved onto the school network. Staff should use their external hard drives to store any music, which they want to use with their class. Protection and security
Antivirus software protects the school s network system, which is regularly updated (currently Sophos, recommended by Trafford LEA) also web filtering software: Bloxx provided by Trafford LEA. The back up of data is the responsibility of the user; external hard drives have been provided to teachers for this purpose. All portable devices such as memory sticks, external hard drives and digital cameras need to be checked by the user for any viruses before use. If a virus is detected the device should not be used and the ICT coordinator and System Administrator informed as soon as possible. If children or staff experience abuse, such as receiving or accessing unsuitable images, they are aware e-safety procedures to report the abuse. Teachers promote an e-safety curriculum and staff and pupils are regularly trained on e-safety. An annual e-safety assembly is held for the whole school, parents and governors. A log of any e-safety incidents will be kept and updated by the e-safety coordinator and stored in the school office. If staff take their school laptops home and connect to the Internet, they must ensure that they protect the school equipment with suitable antivirus software. Personal passwords must be kept private. If you believe your password may have been discovered, then it must be change immediately. Workstations should never be left logged on to a user. Equipment provided for staff use (such as storage devices and laptops) is the property of St. Michael s CE Primary School and must be returned to the school by a member of staff when he/she leaves employment of the school. This policy will be reviewed at regular intervals and updated as necessary.