QUEENSWAY SCHOOL ICT AND COMPUTING POLICY Introduction The use of information and communication technology is an integral part of the national curriculum and is a key skill for everyday life. Computers, tablets, programmable robots, digital and video cameras are a few of the tools that can be used to acquire, organise, store, manipulate, interpret, communicate and present information. At Queensway Primary School we recognise that pupils are entitled to quality hardware and software and a structured and progressive approach to the learning of the skills needed to enable them to use it effectively. We believe that Information Communication Technology (ICT) and computing is central to the education of all children and we aim to give each pupil the opportunities to develop and apply their capability to the fullest degree. Aims At Queensway we aim to: Ensure all staff and pupils are confident, competent and independent users of ICT Use ICT where appropriate to ensure pupils are motivated, challenged and inspired in all areas of the curriculum Develop pupils ability to use ICT appropriately and choose software suitable for a particular task Provide continuity and progression in ICT skills which will serve them for later in life. Meet the requirements of the National Curriculum as fully as possible and help all pupils achieve the highest possible standards of achievement Use ICT as a form of communication with parents, pupils and the wider community New National Curriculum Aims The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils: Can understand and apply the fundamental principles of computer science, including logic, algorithms, data representation, and communication Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems. Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. Roles and Responsibilities It is classroom teacher s responsibility to plan and teach ICT in accordance to the New National Curriculum and to use ICT within their class. They will also assist in the monitoring of pupil progress in Computing and ICT. Teachers should also respond to, and report, any e-safety or cyber bullying issues that they encounter within or out of school in accordance to e-safety procedures. The school is corporately responsible for ensuring that copyright regulations are not infringed. The ICT co-ordinator is responsible for monitoring teaching and learning in ICT and to facilitate the use of ICT by updating the policy and scheme of work, co-ordinating and/or providing INSET and identifying the need to update resources. The ICT Co-ordinator and ICT technician will also offer advice on and demonstrate new developments and initiatives as well as appropriate software when requested or appropriate. They will liaise with other curriculum co-ordinators to ensure effective use of ICT in their areas and keep abreast of new software. ICT in the National Curriculum ICT will be taught across the curriculum and wherever possible, integrated into other subjects. There may be a need for stand-alone ICT sessions to teach skills that can then be applied in the cross-curricular sessions. At Queensway we realise that typing is an important life skill. Typing will be taught throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 to ensure all children leave Queensway School at the end of KS2 as competent typists. Foundation Stage It is important in the Foundation Stage to give children a broad, play-based experience of ICT in a range of contexts, including outdoor play ICT is not just about computers. Children gain confidence, control and language skills through opportunities to engage in their lessons through the use of the interactive whiteboard Use ICT hardware to interact with age-appropriate computer software. Recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes.
Key Stage One By the end of key stage 1 pupils should be taught to: Understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by following a sequence of instructions Write and test simple programs Use logical reasoning to predict and computing the behaviour of simple programs Organise, store, manipulate and retrieve data in a range of digital formats Communicate safely and respectfully online, keeping personal information private, and recognise common uses of information technology beyond school. Key Stage Two By the end of key stage 2 pupils should be taught to: Design and write programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output; generate appropriate inputs and predicted outputs to test programs Use logical reasoning to explain how a simple algorithm works and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs Understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world-wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration Describe how internet search engines find and store data; use search engines effectively; be discerning in evaluating digital content; respect individuals and intellectual property; use technology responsibly, securely and safely Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information. Equal Opportunities in Computing and ICT Throughout the planning and teaching stages, we ensure that the ICT curriculum is available to all pupils, with equal and appropriate access regardless of faith, ability or need. SEN The school recognises the advantages of the use of ICT by pupils with special educational needs. Outcomes on pupil profiles are supported through the use of specific programs and hardware.
Assessment ICT will be assessed using formative assessment. Formative assessment will happen during ICT lessons and will be used to inform future planning. Medium Term Plans will be annotated to reflect this assessment. 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. Internet The internet may be accessed by staff and by children throughout their hours in school. We ask as a school that staff are vigilant as to the sites children are accessing and children should not be using the internet unattended. Internet access is planned to enrich and extend learning activities and is part of the curriculum. When the Internet is being used, then the School s Internet Safety Policy will always be strictly adhered to. E-Mail All members of staff will be issued with a school email address and this is the email with which they should use for professional communication. Staff are discouraged from using their personal e-mail addresses for school communication to protect their privacy. The teaching of email will be covered within the ICT curriculum, but staff should encourage regular dialogue that explores the benefits and potential dangers of using the internet with the children. Backup Teachers are all given an encrypted memory stick and are expected to back up their work on this. Equipment, Hardware and Software Hardware should not be installed without the permission of the Head Teacher and/or ICT coordinator. If staff use memory sticks then the school s antivirus software will scan these. Staff should be vigilant to reduce the risks of virus infection and should remove hardware safely to reduce the risk of losing files. The installation of software unauthorised by the school, whether licensed or not, is forbidden. If you are unsure, please speak to the Head Teacher and/or the ICT Coordinator for advice. The school reserves the right to examine or delete any files that are held on its system. Laptops/Netbooks Wireless laptops bought to support the curriculum are for the use of pupils. Staff will be allocated a school laptop for work use at home. These computers will be maintained by the school but staff
should take reasonable care in their handling. Any damage to the laptops should be reported immediately to the school Bursar. School laptops used at home should not be used for any activity in contravention of the school s acceptable internet use policy, such as illegal file sharing. Teachers are responsible for the backup of work from their lap tops onto an external storage device. Confidential files should be backed up on the school network or on encrypted storage devices provided by the school not on personal storage devices. The school will pay for and install anti-virus software but any Internet connections for use at home are the responsibility of the staff member. Staff should carry out any updates when requested by the school or hand the laptop into the school for updating when requested. Health and Safety ICT equipment should be treated with the same care as any other electrical equipment. Pupils should be encouraged from the earliest age to consider and adjust their posture when using the keyboard or the ipads in order to avoid strain to the arms, back and neck. Pupils are also shown how to adjust the brightness and contrast settings of monitors and are regularly reminded not to look directly into the projector beam of interactive whiteboards and overhead projectors. Staff using digital projectors should be made aware of the safety guidelines and follow the safety guidelines in them. All staff will follow the agreed health and safety guidelines when transporting hardware around the school building. Social Media As a school we recognise that social media and networking are playing an increasing role within everyday life and that many staff are users of tools such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs using these for both personal and professional use. In order to reduce risks and issues that may arise staff should: Ensure that their profile/posts/tweets are kept private to friends where possible, this also includes personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses etc. Not accept current or ex-pupils as friends on social media sites such as Facebook. We do understand that some staff members have friends within the local community (such as children s parents) and just ask that these members of staff take extra precaution when posting online. Ensure that if their communication is fully public (e.g. blogs) that they maintain their professionalism at all times and remember that they are a representative of the school. Not use these media to discuss confidential information or to discuss specific children. Check with the ICT Coordinator if they need advice on monitoring their online persona and checking their security settings.
Class Blogs Teachers and pupils will use blogging throughout the school to share children s learning and to communicate with parents. We will follow guidance laid out in this document to ensure children are kept safe. No-one is able to post on the blog or write a comment without it being approved by a teacher to ensure that the children are not subjected to any inappropriate comments. The children are encouraged to comment on blog entries as a way of communicating safely in a controlled online environment. Children will need to enter an e-mail address to do so, however e-mail addresses are not seen on the blog post and can only be seen by the teacher while authorising the comment. After the authorising has been done the teacher will delete the e-mail with the submitted e-mail address, ensuring any given personal e-mail addresses are not used or stored. Review This policy will be reviewed bi-annually by the Head Teacher and the Curriculum Committee. Any alterations that come from this review will be discussed and ratified by the full Governing Body. Ratified by Governors on. Chair of Governors Date Head Teacher Date
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY The purpose of this policy is to set out the procedures by which the school will minimise the misuse of computers and associative technology. To ensure that ICT throughout the school is used safely and appropriately staff should: Use computers and equipment with care and ensure children do the same e.g. water bottles should stay away from machines. Try not to be wasteful, in particular when it comes to batteries, printer ink and paper. Ensure that passwords are secure and that usernames and passwords are not shared with children or other staff. Ensure that they log off when they have finished using a computer particularly in shared areas. Make use of school resources such as cameras and microphones but ensure that these are returned after their use. They should also endeavour to remove pictures/files immediately after use. Ensure that they are not using the school s ICT for business, profit, advertising or financial gain. Where data of a personal nature such as school reports, pupil profiles, correspondence, photographs and assessment data is taken home on a school laptop or other storage device, it must be recognised that this data comes under the Data Protection Act and is subject to the school s Data Protection Policy. Care must therefore be taken to ensure its integrity and security. It must not be transferred to home computers and should be removed from any portable device including USB pens and memory cards as soon as is practical. Follow the school guidelines contained in the ICT policy for the use of email. Remind children of how to use the internet safely and appropriately. Ensure that parental permission is gained before publishing children s work or photographs on the internet. Ensure that children cannot be identified from photographs that are published on the internet. Report any issues to the Senior Management Team or ICT Coordinator as soon as possible. Return any hardware or equipment if they are no longer employed by the school.