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Acceptable Use Policy
Acceptable Use Policy
Drumgallagh NS
Aim
The
aim of this Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to ensure that pupils will benefit
from learning opportunities offered by the school’s Internet resources in a
safe and effective manner. Internet use and access is considered a school
resource and privilege. Therefore, if the school AUP is not adhered to this
privilege will be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions – as outlined in the AUP
– will be imposed.
It is
envisaged that school and parent representatives will revise the AUP regularly
in line with developing technological issues.
Before
signing, the AUP should be read carefully to ensure that the conditions of use
are accepted and understood.
This
policy is to be read in conjunction with our Anti-bullying policy which also
deals with the issue of cyberbullying.
School’s
Strategy
The
school employs several strategies to maximise learning opportunities and reduce
risks associated with the Internet. These strategies are as follows:
General
§ Internet
sessions will always be supervised by a teacher
§ Filtering
software and/or equivalent systems will be used to minimise the risk of
exposure to inappropriate material
§ The
school will regularly monitor pupils’ Internet usage
§ Students
and teachers will be provided with training in Internet safety
§ Uploading
and downloading of non-approved software will not be permitted
§ Virus
protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis
§ The
use of personal memory sticks, CD-ROMs, or other digital storage media in
school requires a teacher’s permission
§ Students
will always treat others with respect while online and will not undertake any
actions that may bring the school or themselves into disrepute
§ Suitable
educational Apps will be downloaded onto iPads by school staff only (passwords
required for downloading apps)
§ Typing
practice sessions e.g. Rapid Typing will be monitored by a staff member
§ Permission
will be sought from parents/guardians before children are signed up to online
learning platforms i.e. Seesaw
§ Etiquette
online for home learning will be adhered to in accordance with school’s code of
behaviour policy
§ Codes
for access to online learning such as Khan Academy, Spellings for Me, Read Theory,
Seesaw will be printed and distributed to parents.
World
Wide Web
§ Students
will not intentionally visit Internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful,
or otherwise objectionable materials.
§ Students
will report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials in accordance with
school procedures.
§ Students
will use the Internet for educational purposes only.
§ Students
will never disclose or publicise personal information.
§ Downloading
materials or images not relevant to their studies, is in direct breach of the
school’s acceptable use policy.
§ Students
will be aware that any usage, including distributing or receiving information,
school related or personal, may be monitored for unusual activity, security
and/or network management reasons.
§ Students
will not copy information into assignments and fail to acknowledge the source
(plagiarism and copyright infringement).
Email
§ Pupils
do not use personal email at school; teachers may use the school email address
for the purpose of setting up educational accounts for the pupils (pupils do
not have access to the school email)
§ Parents
and staff should only communicate through the official school email address
(snpdrumgallagh@gmail.com) rather than teachers personal email addresses.
Internet
Chat
§ Discussion/interactive
forums and other electronic communication forums will only be used for
educational purposes and will always be supervised by the class teacher. An
example of this could be Zoom and webinars
§ Students
will only have access to discussion forums, messaging or other electronic
communication that have been approved by the school
§ Usernames
will be used to avoid disclosure of identity
§ Face-to-face
meetings with someone organised via Internet chat will be forbidden.
School
Blog
drumgallaghschool.blogspot.com
§ Teachers
and school secretary have sole responsibility for updating the blog and adding
photos etc. No other individual has access to the login details
§ Pupils
projects, artwork or schoolwork will be published on the School blog in
accordance with clear policies and approval processes regarding the content
that can be loaded to the school’s blog.
§ The
blog will be regularly checked to ensure that there is no content that
compromises the safety of pupils or staff
§ The
publication of student work will be coordinated by a teacher
§ The
school will endeavour to use digital photographs focusing on group activities.
Content focusing on individual students will not be published on the school
blog without the parental permission.
§ Personal
pupil information including home address and contact details will be omitted
from the school blog.
§ The
school blog will avoid publishing the first name and last name of individuals
in a photograph.
§ The
school will ensure that the image files are appropriately named and will not
use pupils’ names
The
purpose having of a school blog is to provide:
§ Communication
with parents regarding specific events & activities
§ Communication
with new or prospective parents
§ Communication
with wider audience regarding positive advertisement of school, promotion of
school & enrolment dates
§ Communication
with wider audience of school life via possible communication tours -photos of
pupil’s projects, notice boards, etc.
§ Continued
advancement of our school communication system with information shared via paper
notes, email, and now blog
Distance
Learning
§ In
circumstances where teaching cannot be conducted on the school premises,
teachers may use platforms
such as Seesaw to assist with remote teaching where
necessary.
§ The
individual teacher using the Online Platform has signed up to the terms of
service of the
Online Platforms on behalf of the school and has enabled the most up to date
security and privacy features which these Online Platforms provide.
§ Parents/guardians
will be provided with the password and will be expected to monitor their
child’s use of Online Platforms
and use of other online resources which have been recommend by the school e.g.
Read Theory, Khan Academy, Spellings for Me.
§ Teacher
approved links to some YouTube videos that are deemed useful to explain or compliment
work set may also be used as part of teaching and learning.
Personal
Devices
Mobile
Phone and Electronic Gadgets are not allowed in school without the expressed
permission of the class teacher and the written permission &
indemnification of the parents.
Children
are encouraged to use their personal ear/ headphones at school for use on
laptops and iPad for programmes and apps such as Read Theory, Nessy etc
Legislation
The
school will provide information on the following legislation relating to use of
the Internet which teachers, students and parents should familiarise themselves
with:
§ Data
Protection Act 2018
§ Child
trafficking and Pornography Act 1998
§ Interception
Act 1993
§ Video
Recordings Act 1998
Support
Structures
The
school will inform students and parents of key support structures and
organisations that deal with illegal material or harmful use of the Internet.
This information will be available at Internet Safety talks throughout the
year.
Sanctions
Misuse
of the Internet may result in disciplinary action, including written warnings,
withdrawal of access privileges and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion.
The school also reserves the right to report any illegal activities to the
appropriate authorities.
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