Internet Policy
Internet Policy
An Internet Access Policy for the school.The purpose of this document is to ensure the whole school community is making effective use of the school?s participation in the East Midlands Broadband Consortium, the Internet for learning and the management of learning.
The main part of this document is a framework for the whole school community, including staff, governors, parents and pupils about the appropriate use of the Internet in the school..
In Summary
The School's Internet Access Policy is an integral part of the ICT Policy and the Whole School Learning and ICT improvement plan. It will relate to other whole school policies, particularly those for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), citizenship and behaviour and will apply to all members of the school community: pupils, school staff, parents, governors and community users.
The Internet Access Policy has been written by a working party of staff and governor representatives.
We believe that while the school needs to exercise caution in the types of Internet access allowed to pupils, we should not be deterred from using it. Schools have always helped learners to engage with society, based on clear support and guidance.
Steps are, however, necessary to deal with undesirable material, including irresponsible e-mail and chat of a provocative, intimidatory, suggestive or otherwise undesirable nature, i.e. anything that might bring the school or user into disrepute. Any kind of 'hacking', of the school's system or of computers on other sites worldwide is to be equally deplored and prohibited. Whilst some of the media interest is hype, there is a real cause for concern and it is imperative that we consider issues carefully before allowing staff, parents and pupils access to the Internet.
Even when filtering is operating it is necessary for schools to employ an appropriate level of supervision and locate screens so that they are always in public view. Additionally, full use should be m ade of web site access logs (explained fully in the document) where they are available.
Why do schools need an Internet Access Policy?
An Internet Access Policy will help ensure that Internet use supports the schools' educational aims, responsibilities to pupils are met and that Northamptonshire LEA requirements are satisfied.
In addition, the DfES requires that a school's ICT Development Plan must set out their policy to protect pupils from access to undesirable materials.
The writing of a policy provides an opportunity for the whole school community to discuss the issues in detail. The resulting agreed policy following such a whole school discussion is more likely to be implemented effectively.
The purpose of Internet access in school is to contribute to learning and to the raising of educational standards, to support continued professional development of all staff and to enhance the schools' management of information and business administration systems. Additionally, schools are a focus in a connected learning community, and therefore cannot reasonably avoid using the Internet to provide opportunities to enhance access to learning and for communications. Access to the Internet is a necessary tool for the whole school community, especially all staff and pupils. The revised national curriculum emphasises that it is an entitlement for pupils using ICT and the Internet to be able to demonstrate a responsible mature approach.
What are the benefits to be gained through the appropriate use of the Internet in education?
A number of studies and Government projects have outlined the benefits to be:
· Access to resources from across the world. (including Art galleries and Museums)
· Access to up to date information and resources
· Access to DfES papers, data and initiatives on-line.
· Widening of cultural horizons and exchange of information with peers overseas.
· Out of school hours learning integration with youth services, libraries and vocational training establishments.
· Access to experts in fields of study.
· Staff professional development, on-line support and challenge.
· Improved data transfer between schools and within the LEA.
Improved access to support and advisory staff, professional associations and colleagues.
How will Internet Use support Effective Learning?
Northamptonshire LEA recommends to Northamptonshire Schools that it is essential to purchase Internet access from a supplier that provides a service designed for pupils. This will include filtering appropriate to the age of the pupils, for example RM.
Internet access is an integral part of the use of ICT to support learning and the management of learning.
Internet access will be an integral part of a large majority of schemes of work to enrich and extend learning activities.
Pupils will be given clear objectives for Internet use.
All staff will be trained in the use of the Internet to support their professional development, their lesson preparation and the creation of challenging learning tasks.
Staff will pre-select sites which will support the learning outcomes planned for the pupils' age and maturity.
Approved sites will be book-marked or listed.
Pupils will be educated in taking responsibility for Internet access and appropriate use.
Pupils will be allowed to use the Internet to search for information and resources to meet their learning objectives within the provision of the filtered system
How will pupils be taught to access Internet content?
Pupils in our school are unlikely to see inappropriate content in books due to selection by publisher and teachers; this is not the case with the Internet. Just as with books, material that is appropriate in some contexts is not appropriate in others.
Therefore, Learning and ICT should be widened to incorporate Internet content issues, for example, validity and credibility of web materials in relationship to other media.
Pupils will need to be aware that there is no regulatory authority body for the Internet. Anyone, anywhere can publish material. It is not censured for opinion, bias or validity of information.
What will children be taught?
· Pupils will be taught methods to validate by cross-referencing, information from the Internet.
· Pupils will be taught how to carry out structured searches of the Internet.
· Pupils will be taught how to include a list of acknowledged sources of information that they have used for research purposes.
· Pupils will be instructed to tell a member of staff immediately if they find material that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Pupils will be taught how to use e-mail to communicate with people they know and those they do not.
How will the school ensure the safe use of the Internet in teaching and learning?
Pupils will be supervised at all times. This may include supervision by teachers or support staff of computers in a public place where the screen is visible, to random checking on computer records of sites visited. Make it known that checks can be made by automatic logging of files (such as temporary Internet files, 'history' or 'cache') on computers. Simply alerting students to the fact that teachers can and do track the sites that pupils visit can be highly effective.
All use of the school's Internet access will be monitored, including that by staff, governors and parents.
If Staff and/or pupils discover unsuitable material, the URL (Uniform Resource Locator-address) and the content will be reported without delay to the Internet Service Provider by the ICT SMT representative.
Teachers will inform pupils that Internet use will be monitored from time to time.
The school will work closely with parents, the LEA, DfES and the Internet service provider to ensure systems to protect pupils are reviewed and continuously improved.
How will e-mail be managed?
E-mail is an essential means of communication within education. The capacity to use e-mail is an important means of communication in society; pupils should learn to effectively use it as they do with other forms of written communication. E-mail can inspire otherwise reluctant writers to concentrate on their spelling and grammar in order to send messages to their peers. It can help pupils make the transition between schools, and for pupils who must study away from school (at home or in hospital, for example) e-mail can enable direct access to teachers, peers and familiar content. Learners can also take part in various intellectual projects, on-line discussions and live text based conversations and debates (although unsupervised 'chat rooms' are best avoided). E-mail extends communication beyond the school, into the home, the workplace and the community.
Once e-mail is available it is difficult to control its content. Nevertheless, e-mail content should not be considered private. Responsible and appropriate use within the school must be encouraged appropriate to the schools? Personal, Social and Health Education, Citizenship and Behaviour policies, for example, anything that would be unacceptable if found on a written note between pupils is equally unacceptable on e-mail.
Schools are advised to use an Internet service provider with filtered access to the Internet with control software installed.
There is software available that scans e-mail arriving and leaving school for key phrases. It can also restrict incoming mail from unknown sources. Web control software such as Net Nanny, CYBERsitter or Cyber patrol allows different levels of access privileges to be set up, so that a member of staff might have open access whilst pupils access is restricted. The supervisor can specify the areas to be controlled; the Web, e-mail and on-line discussion groups can be targeted and categories such as sex, gambling or drugs can be blocked. Periodic checking of settings is necessary.
It should be noted:
· Pupils are required to use e-mail as part of the National Curriculum 2000 orders.
· Pupils will be allowed to access personal e-mail from the school system once they have signed the 'acceptable use' policy.
· Messages sent from a school computer or using the school domain name should be regarded in the same way as messages written on school headed paper.
· Use of chat-rooms by staff is allowed from the school?s computers on approved web sites.
· Any web sites found to be disturbing will be removed from the approved list.
· E-mail sent from school computers is liable to random checks. Inappropriate use will lead to removal of the pupil?s entitlement to use the equipment.
· Approved newsgroups will only be available to pupils for supervised, specific purposes.
· Additions to the facilities will be thoroughly tested before they are introduced to widespread use.
All staff will be provided with an e-mail address to enable communication with parents and other members of the school community. The policy regarding communication with pupils will be reviewed once the facility is in place.
Managing Web Authoring
The working party believe that the school needs to consider developing its own web site to celebrate pupils' work. Work published in this way can inspire others to produce work of a high standard, for a very wide audience.
Web sites can provide a ready means to support pupils? access to learning resources out of school, including extension work. Many schools are looking to use the web to provide access to the 24-hour school.
Agreed ground rules are important to ensure that the web site reflects the schools' ethos and that information is accurate and well presented.
We will need to consider the security of both staff and pupils.
The publishing of pupils' names besides photographs that identify individuals is considered inappropriate/unwise on Web pages. While any risk is minimal, parents' perceptions of risk must also be taken into account in devising an appropriate policy.
We will follow the following policy guidelines:
· The Web site will follow the guidelines for all documents published by the school.
· All material must be the author's own work, or permission to reproduce be obtained before publication. Copyright owner's names must be clearly displayed. The copyright laws apply to the web.
· The web site must be up to date with all out of date material removed by its due date.
· School policy documents and learning materials will be published on the web site allowing access for governors, parents, staff and pupils.
· On the first page a point of contact the school address and telephone number should be given.
· Individual e-mail identities and photographs will not be published. Group shots (with parents/pupils permission granted) will be used in preference.
· Full names will not be given on the Web site, including on pupils' work.
· The Head teacher has editorial responsibility and is charged with the responsibility to ensure content is accurate, follows security guidelines and quality of presentation is maintained.
How and Why access to the Internet is authorised?
Internet access is a necessary part of the statutory curriculum. It is an entitlement for pupils based on their responsible use.
We will follow the following policy guidelines:
· Access to the Internet is required to fulfil the requirements of the national curriculum. All pupils will be provided with the minimum access required.
· At KS1, all access to the Internet will be by a teacher or by adult demonstration or supervised access to specific pre-selected and approved sites.
· At KS2, Internet access will be granted as part of the Curriculum Schemes of work, following education in responsible and appropriate use.
· Staff will have open, but monitored Internet access for research purposes and continued professional development.
· All parents will be provided with information about schools' supervised Internet access arrangements. All KS2 will be asked to sign the acceptable use policy for Denton Primary School, for individual Internet access. Parents will be requested to countersign. The school will keep a record of the acceptance of the policy and associated literature.
Parents of all primary aged children will be asked to sign and return a permission form. All staff will be advised of the conditions of their use of the Internet. Inappropriate use will be considered a disciplinary issue.
Disclaimer statement.
The school will supervise pupils and take all reasonable precautions to ensure that users access only appropriate material. In line with Northamptonshire LEA policy, Denton Primary School will provide a filtered Internet service.
No system can be completely effective and a combination of approaches will be required in addition to adequate supervision. All staff, governors, parents and advisers will work to establish agreement that every reasonable measure has been taken.
Due to the process involved in publishing information on the Internet, it is not possible to guarantee that unsuitable material will never appear on a computer screen.
Neither the school nor Northamptonshire LEA can accept liability for the materials accessed, or any consequences thereof.
The school will work in partnership with parents; the LEA, DfEE and the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ensure systems to protect pupils are reviewed and improved.
Members of the School's Senior Management team will ensure periodic checks are made to substantiate that the filtering methods employed are effective in practice.
If unsuitable sites are discovered by anyone belonging to the school community, a member of staff will report the URL and content without delay to Research Machines, the ISP provider and inform a senior member of staff.
Security of the system
· Virus protection will be installed and updated regularly on all computer systems.
· Use of floppy disks will be reviewed. Personal floppy disks may not be brought into school without specific permission.
Use of e-mail by pupils to send attachments will be reviewed.
How will the school handle complaints?
A complaints procedure is available at all schools maintained by the Local Education Authority, Public Libraries and Education Offices. A copy will be given to any person wishing to make a complaint under these arrangements.
In line with normal school procedures regarding discipline pupils, parents and staff will need to work together to resolve issues.
Using and Applying the Appropriate Use of the Internet Policy.
Whole School Issues
· To ensure all staff working in the school (including supply staff and other visitors) are aware of the schools? Acceptable Use Guidelines.
· All staff will be supplied with a copy of the Appropriate Use policy and its importance explained. New members of staff will be briefed at induction meetings.
· A module on responsible ?Internet Use? will be included in the PSHE programme covering both home and school use of the Internet.
· Parents' attention will be drawn to the policy in newsletters, school brochures and on the school web site.
Home Use Issues
Internet use in pupils' homes is increasing rapidly. We will encourage parental awareness of the dangers pupils may face if they have unsupervised or unrestricted access to the Internet.
Materials will be made available to help parents understand the necessary steps to take to ensure the safety and security for their children using the Internet at home.
Community Use Issues
Internet use in the local community is increasing. In addition to the home, access may be available at the local library, youth club, adult education centre, village hall or supermarket.
The school will make use of opportunities to contact community colleagues in order to advise pupils regarding these opportunities. Information may include membership, booking procedures, availability and possible costs.
If each organisation is developing its own approach to appropriate use of the Internet, pupils may find variations in the rules confusing and indeed no restrictions on use.
In libraries, adult users will often need to sign an acceptable use policy. Parents/carers of children under 18 years of age will generally be required to sign an acceptable use policy on behalf of the child. Back to top