E-safety Policy
2. Scope of Policy
4.1 Use of Internet facilities, mobile and digital technologies
4.2 Reporting abuse
6.1 Monitoring
6.2 Sanctions
· Back up procedures
· Disaster recovery
· Contingency planning
· External services
· Web mail
· Blogs and blogging
· Podcasting
· Joining of Administration and Curriculum Networks
Burleigh Community College
1. Introduction
1.1 Burleigh Community College recognises the Internet and other digital technologies provide a vast opportunity for children and young people to learn. The Internet and digital technologies allow all those involved in the education of children and young people to promote creativity, stimulate awareness and enhance learning.
1.2 As part of our commitment to learning and achievement we at Burleigh Community College want to ensure that the Internet and other digital technologies are used to:
· Raise educational standards and promote pupil achievement.
· Develop the curriculum and make learning exciting and purposeful.
· Enable pupils to gain access to a wide span of knowledge in a way that ensures their safety and security.
· Enhance and enrich their lives and understanding.
To enable this to happened we have taken a whole school approach to E-safety as promoted by British Education Communication Technology Agency (BECTA), which includes the development of policies and practices, the education and training of staff and pupils and the effective use of the School’s ICT infrastructure and technologies.
1.3 Burleigh Community College as part of this policy, holds steadfastly to the ethos that there should be an equitable learning experience for all pupils using ICT technology. We recognise that ICT can allow disabled pupils increased access to the curriculum and other aspects related to learning.
1.4 Burleigh Community College is committed to ensuring that all its pupils will be able to use existing, as well as up and coming technologies safely. We are also committed to ensuring that all those who work with children and young people, as well as their parents, are educated as to the risks that exist so that they can take an active part in safeguarding children.
1.5 The nominated senior person for the implementation of the School’s e-
Safety policy is Christine Horsfall – School Principal, Designated Senior Person for Child Protection
2. Scope of Policy
2.1 The policy applies to:
· all pupils and adult learners
· all teaching and support staff (including peripatetic), school governors and volunteers;
· all aspects of the School’s facilities where they are used by voluntary, statutory or community organisations.
2.2 Burleigh Community College will ensure that the following elements are in place as part of its safeguarding responsibilities to pupils:
· a list of authorised persons who have various responsibilities for E-safety;
· a range of policies including acceptable use policies that are frequently reviewed and updated;
· information to parents that highlights safe practice for children and young people when using the Internet and other digital technologies;
· adequate training for staff and volunteers;
· adequate supervision of pupils when using the Internet and digital technologies;
· education that is aimed at ensuring safe use of Internet and digital technologies;
· a reporting procedure for abuse and misuse.
3.1.1 Burleigh Community College recognises that as part of its safeguarding responsibilities there is a need to work in partnership. One of our major partners is the East Midlands Broadband Community (embc) who provide the network, services and facilities that support the communication requirements of the East Midlands learning community. As part of our commitment to partnership working, we fully support and will continue to work with embc to ensure that pupil and staff usage of the Internet and digital technologies is safe.
3.1.2 Burleigh Community College will, as part of its wider safeguarding responsibilities, seek to ensure that voluntary, statutory and community organisation take an approach to their activities that sees the welfare of the child as paramount. To this end, we expect any organisation using the school’s ICT or digital technologies to have appropriate policies and procedures that are aimed at safeguarding children and young people and reporting concerns.
We at Burleigh Community College understand that effective polices and procedures are the backbone to developing a whole-school approach to E-safety. The policies that exist within Burleigh Community College are aimed at providing a balance between exploring the educational potential of new technologies safeguarding pupils.
4.1.1 Burleigh Community College will seek to ensure that Internet, mobile and digital technologies are used effectively for their intended educational purpose, without infringing legal requirements or creating unnecessary risk.
4.1.2 Burleigh Community College expects all staff and pupils to use the Internet, mobile and digital technologies responsibly and strictly according to the conditions below: These expectations are also applicable to any voluntary, statutory and community organisations that makes use of the school’s ICT facilities and digital technologies.
· Visit Internet sites, make, post, download, upload or pass on, material, remarks, proposals or comments that contain or relate to:
o Indecent images of children
o Other indecent images
o Promoting discrimination of any kind
o Promoting racial or religious hatred
o Promoting illegal acts
o Any other information which may be offensive to peers or colleagues e.g. abusive images; promotion of violence; gambling; criminally racist or religious hatred material
4.1.3 The School recognises that in certain planned curricular activities, access to otherwise deemed inappropriate sites may be beneficial for educational use. In such circumstances, there is an expectation that access must be pre-planned and recorded and also permission is given by senior leaders, so that the action can be justified, if queries are raised later.
4.1.4 Incidents which appear to involve deliberate access to websites, newsgroups and online groups that contain the following material will be reported to the Police:
· Images of child abuse (images of children whether they are digital or cartoons, apparently under 16 years old, involved in sexual activity or posed to be sexually provocative)
· Adult material that potentially breaches the Obscene Publications Act in the UK
· Criminally racist or anti-religious material
· Violence and bomb making
· Illegal taking or promotion of drugs
· Software piracy
· Other criminal activity
4.1.5 In addition, users may not:
· Use the embc or an equivalent broadband provider’s facilities for running a private business;
· Enter into any personal transaction that involves embc or member Local Authorities in any way;
· Visit sites that might be defamatory or incur liability on the part of embc
or member Local Authorities or adversely impact on the image of embc;
· Upload, download, or otherwise transmit (make, produce or distribute) commercial software or any copyrighted materials belonging to third parties outside of embc, or to embc itself;
· Reveal or publicise confidential or proprietary information, which includes but is not limited to:
o financial information, personal information, databases and the information contained therein, computer/network access codes, and business relationships;
· Intentionally interfere with the normal operation of the Internet connection, including the propagation of computer viruses and sustained high volume network traffic (sending or receiving of large files or sending and receiving of large numbers of small files or any activity that causes network congestion) that substantially hinders others in their use of the Internet;
· Use the Internet for soliciting, representing personal opinions or revealing confidential information or in any other way that could reasonably be considered inappropriate.
· Transmit unsolicited commercial or advertising material either to other user organisations, or to organisations connected to other networks, save where the material is embedded within, or is otherwise part of, a service to which the member of the user organisation has chosen to subscribe.
· Assist with unauthorised access to facilities or services accessible via embc
· Undertake activities with any of the following characteristics:
§ wasting staff effort or networked resources, including time on end systems accessible via the embc network and the effort of staff involved in support of those systems;
§ corrupting or destroying other users’ data;
§ violating the privacy of other users;
§ disrupting the work of other users;
§ using the embc network in a way that denies service to other users (for example, deliberate or reckless overloading of access links or of switching equipment);
§ continuing to use an item of networking software or hardware after embc has requested that use cease because it is causing disruption to the correct functioning of embc;
§ other misuse of the embc network, such as introduction of viruses.
· Use any mobile or digital technologies 3G or mobile Internet services in any way to intimidate, threaten or cause harm to others. Moreover, mobile technologies should not be used to access inappropriate materials or encourage activities that are dangerous or illegal.
4.1.6 Where Synetrix (provider of Internet connectivity and associated services to schools) and/or embc become aware of an illegal act or an attempted illegal act, they will have to comply with the law as it applies and will take action directed by the police if a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) Notice is issued.
4.2 Reporting Abuse
4.2.1 There will be occasions when either a pupil or an adult within the school receives an abusive email or accidentally accesses a website that contains abusive material. When such a situation occurs, the expectation of the school is that the pupil or adult should be report the incident immediately.
4.2.2 The School also recognises that there will be occasions where pupils will be the victims of inappropriate behaviour that could lead to possible or actual significant harm, in such circumstances LSCB Procedures should be followed. The response of the School will be to take the reporting of such incidents seriously and where judged necessary, the Designated Senior Person for Child Protection within the School will refer details of an incident to the lead agencies involved in safeguarding children, namely Children’s Social Care and the Police.
The School, as part of its safeguarding duty and responsibilities will, in accordance with LSCB Procedures assist and provide information and advice in support of child protection enquiries and criminal investigations.
5.1 Burleigh Community College recognises that the Internet and other digital technologies can transform learning; help to improve outcomes for children and young people; promote creativity; all of which add up to a more exciting and challenging classroom experience.
5.2 As part of achieving this, we want to create within Burleigh Community College an accessible system, with information and services online, which support personalised learning and choice. However, we realise that it will be necessary for our pupils to have the skills of critical awareness, digital literacy and good online citizenship to enable them to use the Internet and other digital technologies safely.
o Enable all pupils to exercise the skills of critical awareness, digital literacy and good online citizenship as part of the school curriculum.
o Educate school staff so that they are equipped to support pupils in gaining positive experiences when online and can help pupils develop strategies if they encounter a problem.
o Support parents in gaining an appreciation of Internet safety for their children and provide them with relevant information on the policies and procedures that govern the use of Internet and other digital technologies within the school.
Burleigh Community College recognises the need to have regular inspections of policies and procedures in order to ensure that its practices are effective and that the risks to pupils are minimised.
6.1 Monitoring
6.1.1 Monitoring the safe use of the Internet and other digital technologies goes beyond the personal use of the Internet and electronic mail a pupil or member of staff may have. Burleigh Community College recognises that in order to develop an effective whole school E-safety approach there is a need to monitor patterns and trends of use inside school and outside school (Education and Inspections Act 2006, Section 89(5)).
6.1.2 With regard to monitoring trends, within the school and individual use by school staff and pupils, Burleigh Community College will audit the use of the Internet and electronic mail in order to ensure compliance with this policy. The monitoring practices of the school are influenced by a range of national and Local Authority guidance documents and will include the monitoring of content and resources.
6.1.3 Another aspect of monitoring, which our school will employ, is the use of mobile technologies by pupils, particularly where these technologies may be used to cause harm to others, e.g. bullying (see anti-bullying policy for further information). We will also ensure that school staff understand the need to monitor our pupils, and where necessary, support individual pupils where they have been deliberately or inadvertently been subject to harm.
6.2.1 Burleigh Community College has been careful to develop in conjunction with its partners, policies and procedures to support the innocent in the event of a policy breach and enable the School to manage such situations in, and with, confidence.
6.2.2 Where there is inappropriate or illegal use of the Internet and digital technologies, the following sanctions will be applied:
· Child / Young Person
o The child/young person will be disciplined according to the behaviour policy of the school, which could ultimately include the use of Internet and email being withdrawn.
o Serious breaches may lead to the incident being reported to the Police or other regulatory bodies, for instance, illegal Internet use or child protection concerns.
· Adult (Staff and Volunteers)
o The adult will be subject to the disciplinary process, if it is deemed he/she has breached the policy - potentially gross misconduct
o The adult will be asked to leave the course
o Serious breaches may lead to the incident being reported to the Police or other regulatory bodies, for instance, illegal Internet use or child protection concerns.
6.2.3 If inappropriate material is accessed, users are required to immediately report this to Lisa Fish (Director of Support Services) and embc so this can be taken into account for monitoring purposes.
7.1 Burleigh Community College is committed to working in partnership with
parents and carers and understand the key role they play in the Internet
safety of their children, through promoting Internet safety at home and
elsewhere
7.2 We at Burleigh Community College also appreciate that there may be some parents who are concerned about the use of the Internet, email and other digital technologies in school. In such circumstances school staff will meet with parents and carers to discuss their concerns and agree upon a series of alternatives that will allow their child to fully access the curriculum, whilst remaining safe.
8.1 There are multiple aspects of the school’s E-safety policy, which include acceptable use policies for both staff and pupils; ICT equipment (onsite and offsite); data security and retention. The various policy documents relating to these aspects of the school’s E-safety policy can be obtained from Julie Rothwell for scrutiny, if required.