Acceptable Use Policy
Parent / Carer Acceptable Use Agreement 2021-2022
Digital technologies have become integral to the lives of children and young people, both within schools and outside school. These technologies provide powerful tools that open up new opportunities for everyone. They can stimulate discussion, promote creativity and support effective learning. Young people should have an entitlement to safe internet access at all times.
This Acceptable Use Policy is intended to ensure:
- that young people will be responsible users and stay safe while using the internet and other communications technologies for educational, personal and recreational use.
- that school systems and users are protected from accidental or deliberate misuse that could put the security of the systems and users at risk.
- that parents and carers are aware of the importance of online safety and are involved in the education and guidance of young people with regard to their on-line behaviour.
General aims:
- The school will try to ensure that pupils will have good access to digital technologies to enhance their learning and will, in return, expect the pupils to agree to be responsible users. Full guidance and support is given to pupils when using mobile devices and other hardware and software in school, and appropriate guidance in their safe use is always given.
- Parents are not required to sign a permission form to show their support of the school in this important aspect of its work, but assent and agreement is assumed by the school. Should you have any queries or if you disagree in any way with the Acceptable Use Policy, please contact Mrs Appleby (Designated Safeguarding Teacher) or Mrs Woods (Deputy Safeguarding Teacher) at the school.
- As the parent / carer of a pupil at Hackthorn CE Primary School, you give permission for your child to have access to the internet and to ICT systems at school. Pupils all receive on-going and comprehensive online safety education to help them understand the importance of safe use of technology and the internet – both in and out of school.
- The school will take every reasonable precaution, including monitoring and filtering systems, to ensure that young people will be safe when they use the internet and ICT systems. That said, the school cannot ultimately be held responsible for the nature and content of materials accessed on the internet and using mobile technologies.
- All activity – both by pupils and adults – on the ICT systems in school will be monitored and the school will contact parents if they have concerns about any possible breaches of the Acceptable Use Policy.
- We ask that parents encourage their children to adopt safe use of the internet and digital technologies at home and that you inform the school if you have concerns over your child’s online safety. We are happy to offer help and guidance, as well as educational resources, should you require them, as we consider this element of children’s safeguarding a critical part of our responsibilities.
Use of Digital / Video Images:
- The use of digital / video images plays an important part in learning activities. Pupils and members of staff may use school-owned digital cameras and mobile devices to record evidence of activities in lessons and out of school. These images may then be used in presentations in subsequent lessons.
- Images may also be used to celebrate success in Good works assemblies, in the school’s Academic Review publication and on the school website.
- The school will comply with the Data Protection Act and request parents’ / carers’ permission before taking images of members of the school. We will also ensure that when images are published that the young people cannot be identified by the use of their names.
- In accordance with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s office parents / carers are welcome to take videos and digital images of their own children at school events for their own personal use (as such use is not covered by the Data Protection Act). To respect everyone’s privacy and in some cases the child’s protection and safeguarding, these images should not be published or made publicly available on social networking sites, nor should parents / carers comment on any activities involving other pupils in the digital / video images.
- Permission forms to allow the school to take and use images of your children for the purposes listed above are issued separately, on your child’s enrolment in school and at the start of every academic year.
- It should also be noted that parents should avoid making comments about other children in the school on social media. If at any time you have any concerns about your child or the behaviour of another child, it is expected that you will come into school to report this, especially if it constitutes a safeguarding concern. It is not useful to place comments about other children on social media; we would much prefer this to be dealt with by the school.
If you have any queries or questions regarding any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Appleby (Designated Safeguarding Teacher) or Mrs Woods (Deputy Designated Safeguarding Teacher) at school.
Last reviewed: June 2022
