ONLINE ACCESS & SAFETY POLICY · appropriate parents/carers and where necessary the appropriate authorities. Online safety is referenced in several school policies including the Computing

Title: Online Access and Safety Policy

Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

Page 1 of 22

ONLINE ACCESS & SAFETY POLICY

We are guided by God who is at the centre of everything we do.

We support each other to be the best we can be to secure bright futures for everyone.

With our parishes, families and the community, we work together to create a school that is safe,

happy, respectful and inspirational.

KEY AREA POLICY

Scope and Purpose

St Mary and St Andrew’s Catholic Primary school recognises the need to keep our children, staff and visitors safe while at school and to educate our children to keep themselves safe when away from school. We recognise that the growing availability and use of the internet and mobile devices, whilst being beneficial in so many areas, brings with it its own issues around safety. This policy introduces procedures and guidelines, which when adhered to, serve to mitigate these risks. This policy will give clear direction to governors, staff, pupils, parents/carers, volunteers and visitors who have access to the school’s ICT systems about our expectations and legal responsibilities in the area of online safety. Additionally, if the school staff become aware of any incidents of unacceptable use of the internet/mobile devices putting our pupils at risk of abuse, the school will inform the appropriate parents/carers and where necessary the appropriate authorities. Online safety is referenced in several school policies including the Computing Policy, Whole School Policy for Safeguarding & Child Protection, Anti-Bullying Policy, Use of Images Policy, Communications Policy, General Data Protection Regulations, Policies and Procedures for Handling Complaints and the School Development Plan. The purpose of this policy, therefore is to:

• Safeguard and protect the children and staff of St Mary St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School against online abuse.

• Set out the key principles expected of all members of the school community with respect to the use of ICT- based technologies.

• Assist school staff working with children to work safely and responsibly with the Internet and other communication technologies and to monitor their own standards and practice.

• Set clear expectations of behaviour relevant to the responsible use of the Internet for educational, personal or recreational use.

• Have clear structures to deal with inappropriate online usage and incidents of online abuse.

• Ensure that all members of the school community are aware that unlawful or unsafe online behaviour is unacceptable and that, where appropriate, disciplinary or legal action will be taken.

• Minimise the risk of misplaced or malicious allegations made against adults who work with students.


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Statutory Guidance

• Education Act 2002: Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 requires local education authorities and the governors of maintained schools and further education (FE) colleges to make arrangements to ensure that their functions are carried out with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

• Section 157 of the same act and the Education (Independent Schools Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 require proprietors of independent schools (including academies and city technology colleges) to have arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are pupils at the school.

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 sets out organisational responsibilities for schools and colleges and this applies to maintained, independent, academies, free schools and alternative non-provision academies

• Keeping children safe in education 2019: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges 2016 was issued under Section 175 of the Education Act 2002, the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and the Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations 2011. This contains information on what schools and colleges should do and sets out the legal duties with which schools must comply. Annex C in particular deals with Online Safety.

• Making Sense of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE): produced by the Lancashire Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) highlights the online safety references within the statutory guidance along with advice and suggested good practice.

• Prevent Strategy (2011): addresses the issue of radicalisation.

Roles & Responsibilities

St Mary and St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School is committed to providing the relevant personnel with clear and explicit roles and responsibilities to ensure accountability when safeguarding our children. We therefore ensure that: Parents/Carers will be encouraged to:

• Support the school in promoting online safety.

• Read, understand and promote St Mary and St Andrew’s Children’s Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 4 & 5) with their children, and sign the Agreement.

• Read, understand and sign St Mary and St Andrew’s Parents/Carers Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 3).

• Do all they can to ensure that their children are protected from online abuse, particularly when accessing the Internet at home and away from school.

• Report cases of suspected online abuse to the Online Safety Subject Leader or Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). This should be done as soon as possible using the school's agreed format.

• Maintain and demonstrate a mindset of "it could happen to my child".

• Consult with the school if they have any concerns about their child’s use of technology.

The Governing Body will:

• Ensure that online safety procedures and training within St Mary and St Andrew’s are effective, follow all current Governmental and LSCB online safety advice and comply with the law at all times.

• Ensure that Online Access & Safety policies and procedures are approved and adhered to by all staff.

• Ensure that all staff, volunteers and governors are trained in and regularly updated on online safety matters in compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2019

• Support the school in encouraging parents and the wider community to become


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engaged in online safety awareness and activities.

• Minimise the risk to our children and staff of online abuse by ensuring that appropriate filters and monitoring systems are in place.

• Ensure that children are taught about online safety.

• Ensure there are procedures in place to handle allegations of online abuse against all staff and volunteers.

• Appoint an Online Safety Governor to represent the Governing Body in its day to day support of online safety who will:

o regularly review with the Head Teacher/Online Safety Co-Subject Leader: ▪ online safety strategy and its implementation within the school. ▪ online safety incident logs and filtering rules.

o report to the relevant Governor/Committee meetings.

The Head Teacher/DSL will:

• Take overall responsibility for online safety provision.

• Ensure the school uses an approved, filtered Internet Service, which complies with current statutory requirements.

• Ensure that the Online Safety Subject Leader and other relevant staff receive suitable training to carry out their online safety roles and to train other colleagues, as relevant.

• Be aware of the procedures to be followed in the event of a serious online safety incident.

• Receive regular updates from the Online Safety Subject Leader.

• Ensure that there is a system in place to monitor and support staff who maintain St Mary and St Andrew’s ICT hardware, systems and networks.

• Regularly review with the Online Safety Governor: o online safety strategy and its implementation within the school. o online safety incident logs and filtering rules.

The Online Safety Subject Leader will:

• Take day to day responsibility for online safety issues and have a leading role in establishing and reviewing St Mary and St Andrew’s online safety policies and procedures.

• Promote an awareness and commitment to online safety throughout the school community by facilitating training and advice for all staff and by ensuring online safety education is embedded across the curriculum.

• Liaise with third party ICT technical staff who maintain St Mary and St Andrew’s hardware, systems and networks.

• Ensure that all staff are aware of the procedures that must be followed in the event of an online safety incident.

• Ensure that an Online Safety Incident Log is kept up to date. • Be regularly updated in online safety issues and legislation, and be aware of the

potential for serious child protection issues to arise from: o Sharing of personal data. o Access to illegal / inappropriate materials o Inappropriate online contact with adults / strangers o Potential or actual incidents of grooming o Online bullying and use of social media.

• Regularly review with the Head Teacher: o online safety strategy and its implementation within the school.

The Third-Party ICT Technician will:

• Ensure the security of the school ICT system. • Ensure that users may only access the school’s networks through an authorised

and properly enforced password protection policy, in which passwords are


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regularly changed. • Implement and maintain the filtering software. • Ensure that provision exists for misuse detection and malicious attack e.g.

keeping virus protection up to date. • Ensure that access controls / encryption exist to protect personal and sensitive

information held on school-owned devices. • Report any online safety related issues that arise to the Online Safety Subject

Leader. • Ensure appropriate backup procedures exist so that critical information and

systems can be recovered in the event of a disaster. • Maintain up-to-date documentation of St Mary and St Andrew’s ICT hardware,

systems and networks. Teachers, Support Staff & Governors: Teachers will:

• Embed online safety in all aspects of the curriculum and other school activities. • Supervise and guide pupils carefully when engaged in learning activities involving

online technology (including, extra-curricular and extended school activities. • Ensure our children understand and follow the St Mary and St Andrew’s Online

Access & Safety Policy and Online Acceptable Use Agreements (Appendix 4 & 5), appropriate to their age.

• Ensure that our children are fully aware of research skills and are fully aware of legal issues relating to electronic content such as copyright laws, appropriate to their age.

All Staff & Governors will • Read, understand, adhere to and help promote St Mary and St Andrew’s Online

Access & Safety Policy and guidance, and sign and adhere to the Staff & Governor Online Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 2).

• Be aware of the online safety implications of personal devices such as mobile phones, cameras and hand-held devices in addition to school kit, and monitor their use according to St Mary and St Andrew’s Online Access & Safety Policy and report any suspected misuse or problem to the Online Safety Subject Leader.

• Maintain an awareness of current online safety issues and guidance e.g. through CPD.

• Model safe, responsible and professional behaviours in their own use of technology.

• Ensure that any digital communications with pupils are be on a professional level and only through school-based systems, never through personal mechanisms, e.g. email, text, mobile phones etc.

Pupils will:

• Read, understand, sign and adhere to the Children’s Online Acceptable Use Agreement. (Appendix 4 & 5).

• Understand the importance of reporting abuse, misuse or access to inappropriate materials and know what action to take if they or someone they know feels worried or vulnerable when using online technology.

• Know and understand school policy on the use of mobile phones, digital cameras and hand-held devices, and understand policies on the taking / use of images and on online bullying.

• Understand the importance of adopting good online safety practices when using digital technologies out of school and realise that the school’s Online Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 4 & 5) covers their actions out of school, if they are representing St Mary and St Andrew’s.

• Help as appropriate, in the creation/ review of online safety policies. • Have a good understanding of research skills and the need to avoid plagiarism


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and uphold copyright regulations, appropriate to their age.

Induction, Education Training & Updates

While regulation and technical solutions are very important, once the child is away from the school environment they are vulnerable. It is important, therefore to educate both children and their parents/carers to take a responsible approach to online safety. Children need the help and support of the school to recognise and avoid online safety risks and build up their resilience. Training Staff St Mary and St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School is committed to providing staff and volunteers with the skills and knowledge needed to educate children in online safety and to recognise changes in a child’s behaviour which may indicate online bullying or inappropriate online activity. We therefore ensure that:

• ALL staff and volunteers receive Level 1 & 2 Safeguarding Training on induction using the LCC Safeguarding Induction Pack which includes Keeping Children Safe in Education (Part One) (Annex C in particular deals specifically with online safety), Guidance for Safer Working Practice, Code of Conduct and Online Access & Safety, Staff & Governor Online Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 2) and Whistle-blowing Policies which will be formally provided to and discussed with all members of staff.

• Up-to-date and appropriate staff training in safe and responsible Internet use, both professionally and personally, is provided, as appropriate, for all members of staff via Team Meetings and Inset Days.

• The Online Safety Subject Leader provides ALL staff, volunteers and governors with regular safeguarding updates, and in addition, they undertake any additional training in Online Safety as is deemed necessary by the Online Safety Subject Leader/Governor.

• The DSL undertakes Prevent awareness training.

• Staff are made aware that Internet traffic can be monitored and traced to the individual user.

• All members of staff are made aware that their online conduct out of school could have an impact on their role and reputation within school. Civil, legal or disciplinary action could be taken if they are found to bring the profession or institution into disrepute, or if something is felt to have undermined confidence in their professional abilities.

Training Governors

• The Online Safety Governor will attend training specifically in Online Safety.

• Governors will receive online safety awareness sessions provided within the school.

Parent/Guardian Awareness Parents and carers play an essential role in ensuring their children are protected from online abuse in all its forms and that they develop a relationship with the child that encourages the child to share any issues/harmful experiences they may have.

• A partnership approach to online safety at home and at school with parents will be encouraged. This may include offering parent evenings with demonstrations and suggestions for safe home Internet use or highlighting online safety at other attended events e.g. parent evenings and sports days.

• Parents/Guardians will be encouraged in newsletters and the school prospectus to read the Online Safety Policy available on the school website or by request.

• St Mary and St Andrew’s will provide regular reminders of online safety issues via the Weekly Newsletter and other appropriate literature that becomes available.

• St Mary and St Andrew’s will make available to parents/guardians via the school website and other appropriate media, details of agencies/web sites offering


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parental assistance in understanding and addressing online safety, and which present educational and leisure activities which promote responsible use of the Internet.

• Parents will be required to sign the Parent/Carers Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 3), and will be requested to read and sign the Children’s Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 4 & 5) and discuss its implications with their children.

Educating Children in Online Safety

• An Online Safety training programme for our children will be established across the school curriculum to raise the awareness and importance of safe and responsible internet use, both in school and at home.

• Pupil instruction regarding responsible and safe use will precede Internet access.

• Particular attention to online safety education will be given where children are considered to be vulnerable.

• All children will be informed that network and Internet use will be monitored.

Internet Access and Authorisation

How will Access to the Internet be controlled and authorised? The Internet can be accessed by various desktop and mobile devices including mobile phones and personal laptop and tablet devices. In order to maintain security and online safety the following rules and authorisations will apply: Personal Devices (e.g. laptops, mobile phones, tablets) Children

• Children may not bring mobile phones or any other personal device to school. If they do, the devices must be handed in to the school office and released to a parent or guardian at the end of the school day.

• Children may not use their phones to take photographs of any pupils or staff at school, unless special permission has been given by the Head Teacher and only after consent is given by the person.

Staff • Staff are not permitted to use their own personal phones or devices for accessing

the internet via the school wireless facilities, or for contacting children and their families, on school business, within or outside of school except in exceptional circumstances for example a school trip out of school hours.

• Mobile phones and devices must be switched off or switched to ‘silent’ mode, Bluetooth communication should be “hidden” or switched off and mobile phones or devices must not be used during teaching periods unless permission has been given by a member of the Senior Leadership Team in emergency circumstances.

• If members of staff have an educational reason to allow children to use mobile phones or personal device as part of an educational activity, then it will only take place when approved by the Senior Leadership Team.

• Staff should not use personal devices such as mobile phones or cameras to take photos or videos of pupils and will only use school-provided equipment for this purpose.

• Staff may contact parents through the password protected Teachers2Parents system using their own device.

• If a member of staff breaches the school policy, then disciplinary action may be taken.

School Desktop and mobile devices (e.g. iPads)

• Access to the Internet via the school’s network (both wired and wireless) is controlled by a system of User Names and Passwords. This same system


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dictates which sites are accessible to a particular User. Teaching staff have access to a wider selection of sites than the children.

• Children’s access to the internet will be designed to suit their age and curriculum requirements.

• At Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children’s access to the Internet will be by adult demonstration with directly supervised access to specific and approved online materials. They will have a group, rather than individual User account.

• At Key Stage 2 children will have individual User accounts, and their access will be supervised by the class teaching staff. Children will use age-appropriate search engines and online tools, and online activities will be teacher-directed where necessary.

• When considering access for vulnerable members of the school community (such as children with special education needs), the school will make decisions based on the specific needs and understanding of the child/children concerned.

• Access security rules are maintained by the school’s external ICT Technician, and changes to access facilities must be approved by the Online Safety Subject Leader.

• The school will maintain a current record of all staff and pupils who are granted access to the school’s electronic communications.

• All staff and Governors will read and sign the Staff & Governors Online Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 2) before using any school ICT resources.

• Parents will be informed that children will be provided with supervised Internet access appropriate to their age and ability and will be asked to read the Children’s Online Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 4 & 5), discuss it with their child, and sign it. Additionally they will be asked to sign the Parent/Carer Online Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 3), authorising the school to allow their child access to the Internet. If no authorisation is forthcoming, their child will not have access to the Internet.

Managing Internet Content (Filtering)

St. Mary and St. Andrew’s commissions BT Lancashire Services (BTLS) to provide, secure and maintain the school’s broadband network, using CLEO Secure Schools Network private wide-area network for schools in Lancashire and Cumbria, and SOPHOS anti-virus protection. Third party software ‘Netsweeper’, endorsed by BTLS, records all access to Internet sites and filters out unacceptable internet content, to protect our children and staff from abusive content.

• The school’s Internet access will include filtering appropriate to the age and maturity of pupils.

• As a minimum, the filtering system will block all sites as recommended by BTLS, based on the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) list.

• If staff or children discover sites that they believe to be unsuitable, they will report the URL to the Online Safety Subject Leader who will then record the incident and investigate/escalate the concern as appropriate.

• Any material that the school believes is illegal will be reported to the appropriate agencies such as IWF, Lancashire Police or CEOP.

• The Online Safety Subject Leader will work with BTLS and the ICT Technician to ensure that filtering policy is continually reviewed.

• The school has a clear procedure for reporting breaches of filtering (See Monitoring Internet Access, below).

• Changes to the school filtering rules will be risk assessed by the Online Safety Subject Leader and approved by the Senior Leadership team prior to implementation.

Monitoring Internet Access

Monitoring the safe use of the Internet takes two forms; reviewing monitoring reports provided by the ‘Netsweeper’ System, and the physical monitoring of pupils by class teachers:


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Monitoring Reports The ‘Netsweeper’ system logs all access to the Internet, and records access which has been blocked, and access which is suspicious, but allowed through. It also records who has initiated the access. Its reporting facility allows several different ways of reporting this access. St Mary and St Andrew’s will use the reporting function in the following way to monitor blocked and suspicious content to highlight potential internet abuse:

• Two reports: “Blocked Queries” and “Suspicious Queries” will be scheduled to run each Sunday evening, covering the previous week’s activity.

• These reports will be initially reviewed by the Online Safety Governor, and any serious breach of access security will be reported as soon as possible to the Head Teacher or Online Safety Subject Leader.

• These reports will be reviewed by the Head Teacher and the Online Safety Governor at their twice-termly Review Meeting, looking for trends or patterns in online safety breaches.

• If these reports suggest unacceptable/abusive use of the Internet, this will be investigated as an online abuse incident and be dealt with as in Responding to Incidents of Online Abuse, below.

Physical Monitoring of Students

• In addition to the monitoring above, staff will monitor children’s access within the classroom environment.

Managing Specific Areas

How Will Email Be Managed? • Children do not normally use email within school, however, if necessary, they

may only use approved school email accounts for school purposes. • They must immediately tell a designated member of staff if they receive offensive

email. • They must not reveal personal details of themselves or others’ in emails or

arrange to meet anyone without specific permission from a responsible adult. • Staff will use only official school provided email accounts to communicate with

pupils and parents/carers. • Access in school to external personal email accounts may be blocked. • The forwarding of chain messages is not permitted. • Staff should not use personal email accounts during school hours or for

professional purposes. How Will Published Content, including Digital and Video Images Be Managed? St Mary and St Andrew’s uses its website and Twitter feed (@Barton Smsa) as the main sources of information about the school and its activities. In addition to documentation, these media may include photographs and videos containing images of our children and staff to support learning and to celebrate the achievements and general school life of our children. These images may be distributed over the Internet via the website and Twitter feed, or in certain circumstances, directly or through third party agents. To protect our children and staff from any possible abuse resulting from this material being published, St Mary and St Andrew’s takes the following steps:

• The contact details on the St Mary and St Andrew’s website and Twitter feed will include only the school address, email and telephone number. Staff or children’s personal information will not be published.

• The head teacher will take overall editorial responsibility for online content published by the school and will ensure that content published is accurate and appropriate.

• The St Mary and St Andrew’s website and Twitter feed will comply with the authoritative guidelines for publications including respect for intellectual property rights, privacy policies and copyright.


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• Children’s full names will not be used anywhere on the website or Twitter feed, particularly in association with photographs.

The school Policy for the Use of Images describes in detail the rules surrounding the use of images.

How will Social Networking, Social Media and Personal Publishing Be Managed?

• The school will control access to social media and social networking sites. • Children will be advised never to give out personal details of any kind which may

identify them and/or their location. Examples would include real name, address, mobile or landline phone numbers, school attended, email addresses, full names of friends/family, specific interests and clubs etc.

• Staff wishing to use Social Media tools with students as part of the curriculum will risk assess the sites before use and check the sites terms and conditions to ensure the site is age appropriate. Staff will obtain documented consent from the Senior Leadership Team before using Social Media tools in the classroom.

• Personal publishing will be taught via age appropriate sites that are suitable for educational purposes.

• Children will be advised on security and privacy online and will be encouraged to set passwords, deny access to unknown individuals and to block unwanted communications. They will be encouraged to approve and invite known friends only on social networking sites and to deny access to others by making profiles private.

• All members of the school community are advised not to publish specific and detailed private thoughts, especially those that may be considered threatening, hurtful or defamatory.

• Concerns regarding students’ use of social networking, social media and personal publishing sites (in or out of school) will be raised with their parents/carers, particularly when concerning students’ underage use of sites.

• Staff personal use of social networking, social media and personal publishing sites will be discussed as part of staff induction and safe and professional behaviour will be outlined in the school Staff & Governors Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement (Appendix 2).

How Will Videoconferencing Be Managed? Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, and the subsequent lock-down of schools, St. Mary and St. Andrew’s has started to use videoconferencing facilities such as ZOOM and Google Meet for virtual meetings involving Staff and Governor’s, and for the teaching and support of house-bound pupils. The following general principals apply for all videoconferencing controlled by SMSA staff irrespective of software used:

• When setting up a room for the videoconferencing call, be aware of your surroundings which will be viewable and audible on the screen, to ensure there is nothing visible or audible that could cause offence, or which is not for public consumption.

• A random meeting ID will be used rather than the staff member’s personal meeting ID, so that each meeting is unique and can’t be accessed by participants who had attended previous meetings, but are not invited to a current meeting.

• A waiting room facility will be enabled, which will cue participants in a virtual waiting room before the meeting starts. The controller can then admit participants individually into the meeting. This way the controller has complete control over who attends, and any uninvited guests will not be admitted.

• Once started, the meeting will be locked, to prevent the possibility of uninvited access.


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• The dress and behaviour protocols should be no different than those expected in a regular face-to-face meeting.

• The meeting will not be recorded. • Photographs of the screen will not be taken.

In addition to the above, the following general principals apply for all videoconferencing with pupils irrespective of software used:

• The teacher will be the one to initiate the conference and control the participants and activity.

• The zoom account used by the pupil must belong to an adult and not a child • In-class chat will be disallowed, so pupils cannot privately message other pupils,

but can still interact with the teacher as necessary. • The videoconferencing will be received in a family room, not a child's bedroom. If

a desk top computer is used and it is in a bedroom, adult supervision is required in this room at all times

• Only the child belonging to the class/cohort will be on the screen at that time. • Children will be fully clothed in day clothes (not pyjamas/underwear or swim wear

if it is a hot day). • Behaviour of the children whilst on screen will be inline with the school behaviour

policy - language will be appropriate, kindness shown to others, turn-taking and respect for other will be paramount.

How Are Emerging Technologies Managed?

• Emerging technologies will be examined for educational benefit and a risk assessment will be carried out before use in school is allowed.

• Pupils will be instructed about safe and appropriate use of personal devices both on and off site in accordance with the school Acceptable Use or Mobile Phone Policy.

Online Bullying How Will Online Bullying Be Managed?

Online bullying (along with all other forms of bullying) of any member of the school community will not be tolerated. Online bullying can be both active and passive. Active is probably most easily identified by aggressive and abusive messages sent to pupils. Passive can be more subtle, for example where a pupil’s Tweets/ Facebook entries are purposefully not ‘liked’ by others, leading to the child feeling isolated. There are clear procedures in place to support anyone in the school community affected by bullying of any sort, including online bullying. Full details are set out in the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy.

• All incidents of online bullying reported to the school will be recorded. • There will be clear procedures in place to investigate incidents or allegations of

online bullying. • Children, staff and parents/carers will be advised to keep a record of the bullying

as evidence. • The school will take steps to identify the bully, where possible. This may include

examining school system logs, identifying and interviewing possible witnesses, and contacting the service provider and the police, if a criminal offence is suspected, as necessary.

• Sanctions for those involved in online bullying may include: o the bully being asked to remove any material deemed to be inappropriate o a service provider being contacted to remove content if the bully refuses

or is unable to delete the content. o Internet access being suspended at school for the bully for a period of

time.


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• Other sanctions for children and staff may also be used in accordance with the schools Anti-Bullying Policy or Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreements (Appendix 2, 3, 4, 5).

• Parent/carers of all the children involved will be informed. • Children, staff and parents/carers will be required to work with the school to

support the approach to online bullying and the school’s online safety ethos.

Other Inappropriate Online Activity

There are other areas of inappropriate online activity that are harmful to our children such as promoting pornographic or sexual activity; grooming; inciting violence or hatred; gambling; inciting racism or religious intolerance, radicalisation and homophobia. To keep our pupils as safe as possible:

• Sites which can be identified as promoting such activity will be blocked by the ‘Netsweeper’ system (see Managing Internet Content above)

• Online Access logs will be monitored regularly to identify anyone trying to access unacceptable sites from our school systems/premises (see Monitoring Internet Access above).

• Children, staff and parents will be educated to identify and deal with inappropriate online activity (see Induction, Training and Education above).

• All incidents of inappropriate online activity will be recorded and responded to appropriately (see Responding to Incidents of Online Abuse below).

• We recognise that some activity such as grooming may be more subtle and not filtered by our systems. Staff, as part of their Safeguarding training, are trained to look for signs in the children that may indicate some form of abuse, and our children are regularly encouraged to talk to someone in authority if they have any concerns.

• St Mary and St Andrew’s Safeguarding team will involve other agencies as they deem appropriate in such incidents (see Whole School Policy for Safeguarding & Child Protection).

Responding to Incidents of Online Abuse

How Will the School Respond To Any Incidents Of Concern?

• All incidents of concern around online safety will be referred to the Online Safety Subject Leader

• All members of the school community will be informed about the procedure for reporting online safety concerns (such as breaches of filtering, online bullying, grooming, inciting hatred, inappropriate sexual activity illegal content etc).

• All staff will follow the guidance in ‘Responding to an Online Safety Concern (Appendix 1).

• The Online Safety Subject Leader will record all reported incidents and actions taken in the School Child Protection Online Management System (CPOMS) where they will be managed appropriately.

• The DSL will be informed of any online safety incidents involving Child Protection concerns, which will then be escalated appropriately.

• The school will inform parents/carers of any incidents of concerns as and when required.

• After any investigations are completed, the school will debrief, identify lessons learnt and implement any changes required.

• Where there is cause for concern or fear that illegal activity has taken place or is taking place then the school will contact the LCC Schools Safeguarding Officer or Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and escalate the concern to the police.

• All members of the school community will be reminded about safe and appropriate behaviour online and the importance of not posting any content, comments, images or videos online which cause harm, distress or offence to any other members of the school community.


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Handling Complaints

How Will Online Safety Complaints Be Handled?

• Complaints about Internet misuse will be dealt with under the School’s Policy and Procedures for the Handling of Complaints.

• Any complaint about staff misuse will be referred to the head teacher, or if about the head teacher to the Chair of Governors.

• All complaints about the handling of online safety incidents will be recorded by the school, including any actions taken.

• Pupils and parents will be informed of the complaints procedure.

• Parents and pupils will need to work in partnership with the school to resolve issues.

• All members of the school community will need to be aware of the importance of confidentiality and the need to follow the official school procedures for reporting concerns.

Risk Assessment

How Will Risks Be Assessed?

• The school will take all reasonable precautions to ensure that users access only appropriate material. However, due to the global and connected nature of Internet content, it is not possible to guarantee that access to unsuitable material will never occur via a school computer. Neither the school nor LCC can accept liability for the material accessed, or any consequences resulting from Internet use.

• The school will audit ICT use to establish if the Online Access & Safety policy is adequate and that the implementation of the Online Access & Safety policy is appropriate.

• The use of computer systems without permission or for inappropriate purposes could constitute a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and breaches will be reported to Lancashire Police.

• Methods to identify, assess and minimise risks will be reviewed regularly.

Review Dates Policy adopted by the Governing Body on:

21st May 2020

Policy to be reviewed no later than:

21st May 2022

Key Personnel and Training Details

Head Teacher/ Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)/ Prevent Lead

Mrs Sarah Roach

Online Safety Subject Leader

Mrs Kate James

Online Safety Governor

Mr Mike Hartley

Useful Contacts LCC Schools Safeguarding Officer

Tammy Tywang 01772 531196 [email protected]

Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)

Tim Booth 01772 536694 [email protected]

Education Early Support Subject Leaders

Jenny Ashton 01772 531643 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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Matt Chipchase 01254 220989 [email protected]

Lancashire Children's Social Care

0300 1236720 [email protected]

Whistleblowing

01772 532500 [email protected]





Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

Page 14 of 22

Inform the DSL

Report to agencies, as appropriate and in line with child protection procedure.

This could include CEOP, Specialist Children’s Services, and/or Police

Responding to an Online Safety Concern Appendix 1

Illegal Content

Possible Internal Actions

• Sanctions (if deliberate)

• PSHE/citizenship

• Restorative justice

• Anti-bullying

• Parental work

• School support e.g. counselling, peer mentoring

• Request support/advice from Education Safeguarding Team

Possible Internal Actions:

• Staff training

• Disciplinary action if deliberate – contact personnel provider

• School support e.g. counselling

• Request support/advice from education safeguarding team

Staff Report any Online Safety Concern to the Online

Safety Subject Leader (OSSL)

The OSSL Proceeds as

follows.

Illegal or Harmful

Contact or Conduct

Accidental

Report to Internet Watch Foundation (www.iwf.org.uk),

Police and/or Central Duty as

appropriate

Record incident and action taken. Review Online Safety policies and procedures and implement changes

Key Local Contacts Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Head Teacher Online Safety Subject Leader (OSSL): Kate James Area Education Safeguarding Officer: Andrea Glynn 01772 531196 LADO: Tim Booth 01772 536694 Lancashire Police: 101 or 999 if immediate risk of harm

Inappropriate Conduct or Content

Unsure

Consult with LCC

Safeguarding Officer/LADO

Deliberate

Child Member of Staff

Report to DSL

Report to Headteacher (or equivalent in line with allegations policy)

Consult with

LADO

Consult with LCC Safeguarding Officer/LADO

Content Conduct

Child Member of Staff

Report to Internet or Filtering Service Provider

If criminal or child protection

investigation required

Report to DSL

http://www.iwf.org.uk/


Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

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Appendix 2

Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement – Staff & Governors

As a professional organisation with responsibility for children’s safeguarding it is important that staff & Governors take all possible and necessary measures to protect data and information systems from infection, unauthorised access, damage, loss, abuse and theft. Staff have a responsibility to use the school’s computer system in a professional, lawful, and ethical manner. To ensure that members of staff are fully aware of their professional responsibilities when using Information Communication Technology and the school systems, they are asked to read and sign this Acceptable Use Agreement.

This is not an exhaustive list and staff are reminded that ICT use should be consistent with the school ethos, other appropriate policies and the Law.

• I understand that Information Systems and ICT include networks, data and data storage, online and offline communication technologies and access devices. Examples include mobile phones, PDAs, digital cameras, email and social media sites.

• School owned information systems must be used appropriately. I understand that the Computer Misuse Act 1990 makes the following criminal offences: to gain unauthorised access to computer material; to gain unauthorised access to computer material with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences or to modify computer material without authorisation.

• I understand that any hardware and software provided by my school for staff use can only be used by members of staff and only for educational use. To prevent unauthorised access to systems or personal data, I will not leave any information system unattended without first logging out or locking my login as appropriate.

• I will only use the school’s email / Internet / and any related technologies for professional purposes or for uses deemed ‘reasonable’ by the Head Teacher or Governing Body.

• I will only use the approved, secure e-mail system(s) for any school business.

• I will respect system security and I will not disclose any password or security information.

• I will not attempt to install any purchased or downloaded software, including browser toolbars, or hardware without permission from the system manager.

• I will ensure that any personal data of pupils, staff or parents/carers is kept in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR). This means that all personal data will be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully, only kept for specific purposes, held no longer than necessary and will be kept private and secure with appropriate security measures in place, whether used in the workplace, hosted online (only within countries or sites with suitable data protection controls) or accessed remotely. Any images or videos of pupils will only be used as stated in the school Online Access & Safety Policy and will always take into account parental consent.


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Review: May 2022

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• Professional documents which contain school-related sensitive or personal information (including images, files, videos etc.) on any personal devices (such as laptops, digital cameras, mobile phones), will not be shared with others outside school. I will protect the devices in my care from unapproved access or theft.

• I will not store any personal information on the school computer system that is unrelated to school activities, such as personal photographs, files or financial information.

• I will respect copyright and intellectual property rights.

• I have read and understood the school Online Access & Safety Policy which covers the requirements for safe ICT use, including using appropriate devices, safe use of social media websites and the supervision of pupils within the classroom and other working spaces.

• I will report all incidents of concern regarding children’s online safety to the Online Safety Subject Leader or Designated Safeguarding Lead as soon as possible. I will report any accidental access, receipt of inappropriate materials, filtering breaches or unsuitable websites to the Online Safety Subject Leader as soon as possible.

• I will not attempt to bypass any filtering and/or security systems put in place by the school. If I suspect a computer or system has been damaged or affected by a virus or other malware or if I have lost any school related documents or files, then I will report this to the Senior Leadership Team or School Business Manager who will report to the ICT Support Provider/Team as soon as possible. It may be necessary to inform the Information Commissioners Office in line with the GDPR 2018.

• My electronic communications with pupils, parents/carers and other professionals will only take place via work approved communication channels e.g. via a school provided email address or telephone number. Any pre-existing relationships which may compromise this will be discussed with the Senior Leadership team.

• My use of ICT and information systems will always be compatible with my professional role, whether using school or personal systems. This includes the use of email, text, social media, social networking, gaming, web publications and any other devices or websites. My use of ICT will not interfere with my work duties and will be in accordance with the school Online Access & Safety Policy and the Law.

• I will not browse, download, create, transmit, display, publish or forward any material that is likely to harass, cause offence, inconvenience or needless anxiety to any other person, or anything which could bring my professional role, the school, or the County Council, into disrepute.

• I will promote online safety with the pupils in my care and will help them to develop a responsible attitude to safety online, system use and to the content they access or create.

• If I have any queries or questions regarding safe and professional practise online either in school or off site, then I will raise them with the Head Teacher.


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Review: May 2022

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• I understand that my use of the information systems, Internet and email is monitored and recorded to ensure policy compliance.

• I will ensure that my online activity, both in school and outside school, will not bring my professional role into disrepute.

The School may exercise its right to monitor the use of information systems, including Internet access and the interception of e-mails in order to monitor compliance with this Acceptable Use Agreement and the School’s Online Access & Safety Policy. Where it believes unauthorised and/or inappropriate use of the service’s information system or unacceptable or inappropriate behaviour may be taking place, the School will invoke its disciplinary procedure. If the School suspects that the system may be being used for criminal purposes or for storing unlawful text, imagery or sound, the matter will be brought to the attention of the relevant law enforcement organisation.

I have read and understood and agree to comply with the Online Access & Safety Policy and support the safe & secure use of ICT throughout the school.

Signed: ………………………...... Print Name: ……………………………

Date: ……….…


Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

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Appendix 3

Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement: Parents/Carers

Internet and ICT As the parent or legal guardian of the pupil(s) named below, I grant permission for the school to give my daughter/son access to:

• The Internet at school. • ICT facilities and equipment at the school.

I accept that ultimately the school cannot be held responsible for the nature and content of materials accessed through the Internet and mobile technologies, but I understand that the school takes every reasonable precaution to keep pupils safe and to prevent pupils from accessing inappropriate materials. I understand that the school can, if necessary, check my child’s computer files and the Internet sites they visit at school and if there are concerns about my child’s online safety or behaviour they will contact me.

Use of digital images, photography and video:

• I understand the school has a clear policy on the use of digital images and video detailed in the “Use of Images Policy” and I support this.

• I understand that the school will necessarily use photographs of my child or include them in video material to support learning activities.

• I accept that the school may use photographs / video that includes my child in publicity that reasonably promotes the work of the school, and for no other purpose.

• I will not take, or share online, photographs of other children (or staff) at school events without permission.

Social networking and media sites:

• I understand that social networking and media sites have minimum age limits and I agree to abide by these.

• I understand that the school has a clear policy on “The use of social networking and media sites” and I support this.

• I understand that the school takes any inappropriate behaviour seriously and will respond to observed or reported inappropriate or unsafe behaviour.

• I will support the school by promoting safe use of the Internet and digital technology at home. I will inform the school if I have any concerns.

I have read and understood and agree to comply with the Parent/Carer’s Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement.

Signed: ………………………...... Print Name: ……………………………

Date: ……….…


Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

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The use of digital images and video

To comply with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, we need your permission before we can photograph or make recordings of your daughter / son. We follow the following rules for any external use of digital images:

• If the pupil is named, we avoid using their photograph. • If their photograph is used, we avoid naming the pupil.

Where showcasing examples of pupils work we only use their first names, rather than their full names. If showcasing digital video work to an external audience, we take care to ensure that pupils aren't referred to by name on the video, and that pupils’ full names aren't given in credits at the end of the film. Only images of pupils in suitable dress are used. Examples of how digital photography and video may be used at school include:

• Your child being photographed (by the class teacher or teaching assistant) as part of a learning activity; e.g. taking photos or a video of progress made by a child, as part of the learning record, and then sharing with their parent / guardian.

• Your child being photographed by a professional photographer annually for parents to purchase, these images are also used in the School Management Information System (SIMS) for identification purposes.

• Your child’s image being used for presentation purposes around the school; e.g. in class or wider school wall displays or PowerPoint presentations.

• Your child’s image being used in a presentation about the school and its work in order to share its good practice and celebrate its achievements, which is shown to other parents, schools or educators; e.g. within a CDROM / DVD or a document sharing good practice; in our school prospectus or on our school website.

• In rare events, your child’s picture could appear in the media if a newspaper photographer or television film crew attends an event. Note: If we, or you, want your child’s image linked to their name we will contact you separately for permission, e.g. if your child won a national competition and wanted to be named in local or government literature. A more comprehensive detailing of the use of digital images within school can be found in the school “Use of Images” Policy, available on the school website.


Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

Page 20 of 22

The use of social networking and on-line media

This school asks its whole community to promote the 3 commons approach to online behaviour:

• Common courtesy • Common decency • Common sense

How do we show common courtesy online?

• We ask someone’s permission before uploading photographs, videos or any other information about them online.

• We do not write or upload ‘off-hand’, hurtful, rude or derogatory comments and materials. To do so is disrespectful and may upset, distress, bully or harass.

How do we show common decency online?

• We do not post comments that can be considered as being intimidating, racist, sexist, homophobic or defamatory. This is cyber-bullying and may be harassment or libel.

• When such comments exist online, we do not forward such emails, tweets, videos, etc. By creating or forwarding such materials we are all liable under the law.

How do we show common sense online?

• We think before we click. • We think before we upload comments, photographs and videos. • We think before we download or forward any materials. • We think carefully about what information we share with others online, and we check where

it is saved and check our privacy settings. • We make sure we understand changes in use of any websites we use. • We block harassing communications and report any abuse.

Any actions online that impact on the school and can potentially lower the school’s reputation (or someone in the school) or are deemed as being inappropriate, will be responded to. In the event that any member of staff, student or parent/carer is found to be posting libellous or inflammatory comments on Facebook or other social network sites, they will be reported to the appropriate 'report abuse' section of the network site. (All social network sites have clear rules about the content which can be posted on the site and they provide robust mechanisms to report contact or activity which breaches this.) In serious cases we will also consider legal options to deal with any such misuse. The whole school community is reminded of the CEOP report abuse process: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/browser-safety/


Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

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Appendix 4

Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement: Children Foundation/KS1

This is how we stay safe when we use computers:

• I will ask a teacher or suitable adult if I want to use the computers/iPads.

• I will only use activities that a teacher or suitable adult has told or allowed me to use.

• I will take care of the computers and other equipment.

• I will ask for help from a teacher or suitable adult if I am not sure what to do or if I think I have done something wrong.

• I will tell a teacher or suitable adult if I see something that upsets me on the screen.

• I know that if I break the rules I might not be allowed to use the computers.

I have read and understood and agree to comply with the Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement for children in Foundation/KS1

Signed Child: ………………………...... Print Name: ……………………………

Signed Parent: ………………………...... Print Name: ……………………………

Date: ……….…


Issued: May 2020

Review: May 2022

Page 22 of 22

Appendix 5

Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement: Children KS2

This is how we stay safe when we use computers:

I understand that following these rules will keep me safe and help me to be fair to others:

• I will only edit or delete my own files. I will not look at, change or delete anyone else’s files without their permission.

• I will keep my passwords and login details secret.

• I am aware that some websites and social networks have age restrictions and I will respect this.

• I will only email or message people that I know or that a responsible adult has approved.

• The messages I send, or information I upload, will always be polite and sensible. I will not open an attachment or download a file unless I know and trust the person who has sent it.

• I will not give my home address, phone number, send a photograph or video or give any personal information that could be used to identify me, my family or friends unless a trusted adult has given permission.

• I will NEVER arrange to meet someone I have only previously met on the Internet, unless my parent/carer has given permission and I take a responsible adult with me.

• If I see anything I am unhappy about, or I receive a message I do not like, I will not respond to it but I will show a teacher/responsible adult.

I have read and understood and agree to comply with the Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement for children in KS2

Signed Child: ………………………...... Print Name: ……………………………

Signed Parent: ………………………...... Print Name: ……………………………

Date: ……….…

Documents

ONLINE ACCESS & SAFETY POLICY · appropriate parents/carers and where necessary the appropriate authorities. Online safety is referenced in several school policies including the Computing