Coryton Primary School E-Safety Policy

 

Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all staff, parents, governors and children understand and agree the school’s approach to e-safety.  The policy relates to other policies including ICT curriculum, internet access, bullying, child protection and health and safety.

Writing and reviewing the E-Safety policy

The school has a designated e-safety coordinator.  The e-safety policy has been agreed by the senior management team and approved by the governors.  It will be reviewed on an annual basis.

 Teaching and Learning

The importance of internet and digital communications cannot be underestimated.  The purpose of internet access in school is to raise educational standards, to support the professional work of staff and to enhance the school’s management information and business administration systems.

Access to the internet is a necessary tool for staff and students.  It helps to prepare pupils for their on-going studies and personal development needs.  It is a requirement of the National Curriculum orders for ICT and is implied in other subjects. 

  • Internet access is provided by Cardiff Council and designed for pupils.  This includes filtering appropriate to the content and age of pupils.
  • Internet access is planned to enrich and extend learning activities.
  • Access levels are reviewed to reflect the curriculum requirement.
  • Pupils are given clear objectives for internet use and sign an internet agreement.
  • Staff select sites which support the learning outcomes planned for pupils’ age and maturity.
  • Pupils are taught to take responsibility for their own internet access.
  • Pupils are taught ways to validate information before accepting that it is necessarily accurate.
  • Pupils are taught to acknowledge the source of information when using internet material for their own use.
  • Pupils are made aware that the write of an e-mail or the author of a web page might not be the person claimed.
  • Pupils are encouraged to tell a teacher immediately if they encounter any material that makes them feel uncomfortable.

  

Managing Internet Access

Information System Security 

  • School ICT system security is reviewed regularly.
  • Virus protection is updated regularly.
  • Security strategies are discussed with the Local Authority.

E-Mail

  • Pupils are allowed to use school e-mail accounts only.
  • Pupils must tell a teacher immediately if they receive offensive mail.
  • In e-mails, pupils are taught that they must not reveal their personal details, those of others or arrange to meet anyone without specific permission.
  • Pupils are taught not to open suspicious incoming e-mail or attachments.
  • The forwarding of chain letters is not permitted.

Published content and the school website 

  • The website complies with the school’s guidelines for publications.
  • Pupils are taught to consider the audience and purpose for the work they publish on the school website and ensure their work is of a high quality.
  • All material must be the author’s own work or, where permission to reproduce has been obtained, it is clearly marked with the copyright owner’s name.
  • The contact details on the website are for school administration only.

Publishing pupils’ images and work 

  • Children’s photographs are only allowed to go on the website once written permission has been received form the child’s parents.
  • Children’s photographs are not accompanied by children’s full names.
  • Children’s work which contains photographs must not also contain the child’s name.

Social networking and personal publishing 

  • Pupils will not be allowed to access public chat rooms without supervision and then only when using Cardiffschools.net
  • Newsgroups are only available to staff.
  • New applications will be thoroughly tested before pupils are given access.

Managing filtering 

  • The school works in partnership with parents, the LEA, the National Assembly for Wales, Schoolmaster and the Internet Service Provider to ensure systems to protect pupils are reviewed and improved.
  • Senior staff ensure that occasional checks are made to ensure that the filtering methods selected are effective in practice.
  • If staff or pupils discover unsuitable sites, the URL (address) and content must be reported to the Internet Service Provider via the ICT coordinator.

Managing video conferencing and webcam use 

  • Video conferencing uses the County approved program Visual Nexus and pupils must follow the school’s behaviour policy.
  • Video conferencing is always appropriately supervised and pupils must ask permission before accepting or making any calls.

Managing emerging technologies 

  • Mobile phones must not be used during lessons.  The sending of abusive or inappropriate text messages is forbidden.
  • Cameras in mobile phones are not used by staff or pupils.
  • Only school cameras are used by both staff and children for educational purposes.

 Protecting personal data 

  • Personal data will be recorded, processed, transferred and made available according to the Data Protection Act 1998.
  • Staff must not keep confidential information on removable devices such as USB devices unless suitably security protected.

Policy Decisions 

Authorising Internet access 

  • All staff must understand and acknowledge the school’s policy on internet use before using any school ICT source.
  • The school maintains a record of all staff and children who have access to the school’s ICT systems.
  • Parents are asked to sign a consent form regarding their child’s internet use.
  • Any person not directly employed by the school are required to seek permission from the Headteacher before being allowed to access the internet from the school site.

Assessing risks 

The school takes all reasonable precautions to prevent access to inappropriate material.  However, due to the international scale and linked nature of internet content, it is not possible to guarantee that unsuitable material will never appear on a computer connected to the school network.  Neither the school, nor Cardiff Council can accept liability for any material accessed, or any consequences of internet access.  The school’s e-safety policy and its implementation will be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis.

Handling e-safety complaints 

  • Complaints of internet misuse must be referred to the headteacher.
  • Any complaint about staff misuse must be referred to the headteacher.
  • Complaints of a child protection nature must be dealt with in accordance with the school’s child protection policy.
  • Pupils and parents are informed of the complaints procedure.
  • Pupils and parents are informed of the consequences for pupil misuse of the internet.

Community use of the internet 

  • The school liaises with local organisations to establish a common approach to e-safety.

 Communications Policy

Introducing the e-safety policy to children 

  • E-safety posters are posted next to all computers so that all users can see them.
  • Pupils are informed that network and internet use is monitored and appropriately followed up.
  • The children receive e-safety lessons and are constantly reminded of online safety.

Staff and the e-safety policy 

  • All staff are trained regularly and receive a copy of the e-safety policy.
  • Staff are informed that network and internet traffic can be traced to an individual user.
  • Staff will always use a child friendly safe search engine when accessing the web with pupils.

 Enlisting parents’ and carers’ support 

  • Parents’ and carers’ attention is drawn to the school’s e-safety policy in newsletters, the school brochure and on the school website.
  • The school asks all new parents to sign the pupil/parent agreement when they register their child with the school.

 

 

 

 

Reviewed and updated December 2009