Background to the Policy Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys E-Safety Policy The E Safety Policy and its implementation will be reviewed annually. Our E Safety Policy has been written by the school, building on the KCC e Safety Policy and government guidance. Prior to being implemented it was agreed by the Senior Leadership Team and approved by governors. The E-Safety Policy also includes the Staff Code of Conduct for ICT, the Student Code of Conduct for ICT, the E-Safety Letter to New Parents and the Statement on Responsible Internet Use Data Protection Personal data will be recorded, processed, transferred and made available according to the Data Protection Act 1998. Communication Policy An e Safety training programme will be introduced to raise the awareness and importance of safe and responsible internet use. Student instruction in responsible and safe use should precede Internet access. An e Safety module will be included in the PSHE, Citizenship and ICT programmes covering both safe school and home use. e Safety training will be part of the transition programme across the Key Stages and when moving between establishments. Safe and responsible use of the internet and technology will be reinforced across the curriculum. Particular attention will be given where students are considered to be vulnerable. How will the E-Safety Policy be Discussed with Staff? The e Safety Policy will be formally provided to and discussed with all members of staff. To protect all staff and students, the school will implement Acceptable Use Policies. Staff should be aware that Internet traffic can be monitored and traced to the individual user, Discretion and professional conduct is essential. Staff that manage filtering systems or monitor ICT use will be supervised by the Senior Leadership Team and have clear procedures for reporting issues.
Staff training in safe and responsible Internet use both professionally and personally will be provided. Introduction of the Policy to Staff, Students and Parents All staff must read and sign the Staff Information Systems Code of Conduct (Annex 1) before using any school ICT resource. All students must apply for Internet access individually by agreeing to comply with the e Safety Rules. Parents will be asked to sign and return a consent form for student access after discussing expectations of behaviour with their child (Annex 2 and Annex 3). Importance of Internet Use Students use the Internet widely outside school and need to learn how to evaluate Internet information and to take care of their own safety and security. The purpose of Internet use in school is to raise educational standards, to promote student achievement, to support the professional work of staff and to enhance the school s management functions. Internet access is an entitlement for students who show a responsible and mature approach to its use. Benefits of Internet use to Education Benefits of using the Internet in education include: access to worldwide educational resources including museums and art galleries; inclusion in the National Education Network which connects all UK schools; educational and cultural exchanges between students worldwide; vocational, social and leisure use in libraries, clubs and at home; access to experts in many fields for students and staff; professional development for staff through access to national developments, educational materials and effective curriculum practice; collaboration across networks of schools, support services and professional associations; improved access to technical support including remote management of networks and automatic system updates; exchange of curriculum and administration data with KCC and DfE; Access to learning wherever and whenever convenient. Enhancing Learning The school s Internet access will be designed to enhance and extend education.
Learning Platforms Students/staff will be advised on acceptable conduct and use when using the learning platform. Only members of the current student, parent/carers and staff community will have access to the LP. All users will be mindful of copyright issues and will only upload appropriate content onto the LP. Emerging Technologies Emerging technologies will be examined for educational benefit and a risk assessment will be carried out before use in school is allowed. It is recognised that smart phone technologies and other similar devices are able to present a degree of risk where students use independently purchased data contracts from mobile phone providers. It is parents responsibility to ensure that their child s mobile device s access is filtered to prevent access to such inappropriate material. The school recognises the usefulness of mobile phones for students both as a way of contacting parents and as a medium for learning. However, students may use mobile technology to assist them with learning within lessons only when given prior approval by teacher. Within tests and examinations mobile phones are prohibited. Teaching Students to Evaluate Internet Content Students will be taught what Internet use is acceptable and what is not and given clear objectives for Internet use. The school will ensure that the copying and subsequent use of Internet derived materials by staff and students complies with copyright law. Access levels will be reviewed to reflect the curriculum requirements and age of students. Staff should guide students to online activities that will support the learning outcomes planned for the students age and maturity. Students will be educated in the effective use of the Internet in research, including the skills of knowledge location, retrieval and evaluation. Students will be taught to acknowledge the source of information used and to respect copyright when using Internet material in their own work. Students should be taught to be critically aware of the materials they read and shown how to validate information before accepting its accuracy. Security of School Information Systems The security of the school information systems and users will be reviewed regularly. Virus protection will be updated regularly. Personal data sent over the Internet or taken off site will be encrypted. Portable media may not used without specific permission followed by a virus check. Unapproved software will not be allowed in students work areas or attached to email. Files held on the school s network will be regularly checked. The ICT coordinator/network manager will review system capacity regularly.
Assessment of Risks The school will take all reasonable precautions to ensure that users access only appropriate material. However, due to the global and connected nature of Internet content, it is not possible to guarantee that access to unsuitable material will never occur via a school computer. Neither the school nor KCC can accept liability for the material accessed, or any consequences resulting from Internet use. E-Safety Records The school will maintain a current record of all staff and students who are granted access to the school s electronic communications. Social Media and Social Networking Sites The school will control access to social media and social networking sites though appropriate filters on the school network. Students will be advised never to give out personal details of any kind which may identify them and / or their location. Examples would include real name, address, mobile or landline phone numbers, school attended, IM and email addresses, full names of friends/family, specific interests and clubs etc. Students should be advised not to place personal photos on any social network space. They should consider how public the information is and consider using private areas. Advice should be given regarding background detail in a photograph which could identify the student or his/her location. Staff members should not have current students as Facebook or Myspace friends, or engage in conversations of a personal nature with students over the internet. However it is recognised that staff may wish to join friendship groups of other colleagues on these types of site. Teachers may also use these sites for setting up groups for posting homework etc. If personal publishing is to be used with students then it must use age appropriate sites suitable for educational purposes. Personal information must not be published and the site should be moderated by school staff. Students should be advised on security and encouraged to set passwords and deny access to unknown individuals. They should be instructed how to block unwanted communications. Students should be encouraged to invite known friends only and deny access to others by making profiles private. Students are advised not to publish specific and detailed private thoughts, especially those that may be considered threatening, hurtful or defamatory. The school behaviour policy will be used in cases where such instances have occurred. If staff or students discover unsuitable sites, the URL must be reported to the e Safety Coordinator. School Website The contact details on the website should be the school address, email and telephone number. Staff or students personal information must not be published.
The headteacher will take overall editorial responsibility and ensure that content is accurate and appropriate. The website should comply with the school s guidelines for publications including respect for intellectual property rights and copyright. Images that include students will be selected carefully for the school website and intranet site. Student E-mail Students must immediately tell a member of staff if they receive offensive email. Students must not reveal personal details of themselves or others in email communication, or arrange to meet anyone without specific permission from an adult. All students are provided with a Google App education account on the school s domain. Cyberbullying and Other Anti-Social or Offensive Activities Cyberbullying (along with all forms anti-social or offensive activities) will not be tolerated in school. This includes students making offensive remarks about teachers or other students in the school. There will be clear procedures in place to support anyone affected by these forms of behaviour. All incidents of cyberbullying reported to the school will be recorded. There will be clear procedures in place to investigate incidents or allegations of Cyberbullying: o Students, staff and parents/carers will be advised to keep a record of the bullying as evidence. o The school will take steps to identify the bully, where appropriate, such as examining system logs, identifying and interviewing possible witnesses, and contacting the service provider and the police, if necessary. Sanctions for those involved in Cyberbullying may include: o The bully will be asked to remove any material deemed to be inappropriate or offensive. o A service provider may be contacted to remove content. o Internet access may be suspended at school for the user for a period of time. o Parent/carers may be informed. o The Police will be contacted if a criminal offence is suspected. E-Safety Complaints Complaints of Internet misuse will be dealt with under the School s Complaints Procedure. Any complaint about staff misuse must be referred to the headteacher. All e Safety complaints and incidents will be recorded by the school including any actions taken. Students and parents will be informed of the complaints procedure. Parents and students will work in partnership with staff to resolve issues. Discussions will be held with the local Police Safer Schools Partnership Coordinators and/or Children s Safeguards Unit to establish procedures for handling potentially illegal
issues. Any issues (including sanctions) will be dealt with according to the school s disciplinary and child protection procedures. Revised June 2013
Annex 1 Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys Staff Code of Conduct for ICT To ensure that members of staff are fully aware of their professional responsibilities when using information systems and when communicating with pupils, they are asked to sign this code of conduct. Members of staff should consult the school s E-Safety Policy for further information and clarification. I understand that it is a criminal offence to use a school ICT system for a purpose not permitted by its owner. I appreciate that ICT includes a wide range of systems, including mobile phones, PDAs, digital cameras, email, social networking and that ICT use may also include personal ICT devices when used for school business. I understand that school information systems may not be used for private purposes without specific permission from the headteacher. I understand that my use of school information systems, Internet and email may be monitored and recorded to ensure policy compliance. I will respect system security and I will not disclose any password or security information to anyone other than an authorised system manager. I will not install any software or hardware without permission. I will ensure that personal data is stored securely and is used appropriately, whether in school, taken off the school premises or accessed remotely. I will respect copyright and intellectual property rights. I will report any incidents of concern regarding children s safety to Mr Moffat or Mrs Scully I will ensure that electronic communications with pupils including email, IM and social networking are compatible with my professional role and that messages cannot be misunderstood or misinterpreted. I will promote e-safety with students in my care and will help them to develop a responsible attitude to system use, communications and publishing. The school may exercise its right to monitor the use of the school s information systems and Internet access, to intercept e-mail and to delete inappropriate materials where it believes unauthorised use of the school s information system may be taking place, or the system may be being used for criminal purposes or for storing unauthorised or unlawful text, imagery or sound. I have read, understood and accept the Staff Code of Conduct for ICT. FULL NAME (CAPITALS): SIGNATURE:. DATE:..
Annex 2 E-Safety Letter to New Parents Dear Parent/Carer E-safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys. E-Safety is taught to all pupils which explains and demonstrates how to stay safe and behave appropriately online but we can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work with you. Your help is needed to talk to your children about how they can keep themselves safe and behave appropriately online. It s important that we are all vigilant when children are using the internet and act to ensure they are protected from people who may pose a risk to them. Children can accidently or deliberately be exposed to illegal, unwanted or unpleasant content, comments or activity online and there are steps you can take at home to minimise this risk. What can parents/carers do? Follow the Golden Rules Ground Rules Discuss as a family how the internet will be used in your house. Consider what information should be kept private (such as personal information, photos etc) and decide rules for making and meeting online friends. Make sure you know what your child is doing online much like you would offline. Discuss using strong passwords with your child so they understand how they can protect their online accounts. It s important they know they need to keep their passwords safe and not share them with anyone or use the same password for several accounts. If your child s account is hacked or compromised then make sure they change their password and report any concerns or suspicious activity. Check how secure your passwords are here: http://howsecureismypassword.net/. For more advice on using strong passwords visit http://tinyurl.com/getsafeonlinepassword Online Safety Install antivirus software, secure your internet connection and use Parental Control functions for computers, mobile phones and games consoles to block unsuitable content or contact. Always remember that parental control tools are not always 100% effective and sometimes unsuitable content can get past them, so don t rely on them alone to protect your child. You can contact your internet provider and ask them to automatically block any content that would be age inappropriate for your child. Location Consider locating your computers and laptops in a family area where children s online activity can be monitored or supervised. Always supervise the use of webcams and any applications or devices which allow voice or video chat. Also consider the use and location of other devices your child s uses which allow internet access such as mobile phones and games consoles. Visit www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/a-parents-guide for safety information about consoles and devices.
Dialogue Talk to your child and ask them to show or even teach you how they use the internet, learn which websites or tools they like to use and why. Learning together with your child can often open opportunities to discuss safe behaviour online. Always ensure your child knows how to block and report people online who may send nasty or inappropriate messages or content. Encourage your child not to retaliate or reply and to keep any evidence. Make sure your child knows it s important that they tell an adult they trust if anything happens online that makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable. It s essential to be realistic: banning the internet or web sites often will not work and it can make a child feel less able to report a problem or concern, so education around safe use is essential. Websites to visit for more information: www.thinkuknow.co.uk Visit the Parent/Carer Section and use the Click CEOP button to seek advice and report online abuse www.childnet.com Visit the Know It All Section for an interactive guide about online safety ww.getsafeonline.org Free up-to-date Security advice including using complex passwords and managing hacked accounts www.kent.police.uk/internetsafety - Guidance from Kent Police www.kent.gov.uk/esafety - Guidance from Kent County Council Yours sincerely Dr Matthew Baxter Headteacher
Annex 3 Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys Student Code of Conduct for ICT To ensure that students are fully aware of their professional responsibilities when using information systems and when communicating with pupils, they are asked to sign this code of conduct. Parents can consult the E-Safety Policy (available on the school s website) for further information and clarification. I understand that it is a criminal offence to use a school ICT system for a purpose not permitted by its owner. I appreciate that ICT includes a wide range of systems, including mobile phones, digital cameras, email, social networking and that ICT use may also include personal ICT devices when used for school business. I understand that school information systems may not be used for private purposes without specific permission of a teacher and will not access social media websites on public chat rooms using the school s computers. I understand that my use of school information systems, Internet and school email may be monitored and recorded for my own protection and the protection of others. I will respect system security and I will not disclose any password or security information to anyone other than a teacher or school ICT technician. I will not install any software or hardware without permission on school computers. I will ensure that personal data is stored securely and is used appropriately, whether in school, taken off the school premises or accessed remotely. I will respect copyright and intellectual property rights. I will report any incidents of concern to Mr Moffat or Mrs Scully. I will ensure that I do not post anything on a social media website (such as Facebook or Twitter) about another student or member of staff which could be interpreted as harassment or bullying. The school may exercise its right to monitor the use of the school s information systems and Internet access, to intercept e-mail and to delete inappropriate materials where it believes unauthorised use of the school s information system may be taking place, or the system may be being used for criminal purposes or for storing unauthorised or unlawful text, imagery or sound. I have read, understood and accept the Student Code of Conduct for ICT. STUDENT NAME (CAPITALS):. SIGNATURE:. DATE:..
Annex 4 Responsible Internet Use The school computer system provides Internet access to students and staff. This Responsible Internet Use statement will help protect students, staff and the school by clearly stating what is acceptable and what is not. Users must access the Internet only via the user's authorised account and password, which must not be given to any other person. School computer and Internet use must be appropriate to the student's educational programme of study. Copyright and intellectual property rights must be respected. Users are responsible for the e-mails they send and for contacts made. E-mails should be written carefully and politely. As messages may be forwarded to unintended readers, e-mail is best regarded as public property. Anonymous messages and chain letters must not be sent. The use of public chat rooms is not allowed. The school ICT systems may not be used for private purposes, unless appropriate authorisation has been given. Use for personal financial gain, gambling, advertising or any activity which the school deems offensive is forbidden. The security of ICT systems must not be compromised. Laptops used on the school premises may only connect to the internet via the school s network and internet filtering service. The downloading and exchanging of illegal music files across the school network is not allowed. The school cannot be held responsible for Internet content accessed using devices other than school computers and laptops. e.g 3G mobile phones. Irresponsible use may result in the loss of network or Internet access. The school will exercise its right by electronic means to monitor the use of the school's computer systems, including the monitoring of web-sites, the interception of E-mails and the deletion of inappropriate materials in circumstances where it believes unauthorised use of the school's computer system is or may be taking place, or the system is or may be being used for criminal purposes or for storing text or imagery which is unauthorised or unlawful. Those responsible for the unauthorised use of the school s computers will be subject to the full disciplinary sanctions available to the Headteacher and Governors.