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Policy Name: ONLINE SAFETY POLICY

Original: May 2017 (Reviewed: October 2018)

Author: Head Teachers Leadership Group

Date ratified by the Trust Board: 25 October 2018

Date for review: October 2019

Publish on Trust website: Yes

Publish on Academy websites: Yes

Signed:

Chair of Directors

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ONLINE SAFETY POLICY

(Acceptable use Agreements for the internet and other technologies)

Introduction

As part of the Every Child Matters agenda set out by the government, the Education Act 2002

and the Children’s Act 2004, it is the duty of each academy to ensure that children and young

people are protected from potential harm both within and beyond the academy environment.

Therefore, the involvement of children, young people and parent/carers is also vital to the

successful use of online technologies. Our academies reserve the right to take action and report

inappropriate behaviour to the police.

Aims

This policy aims to explain how parents/carers, children or young people can be a part of these

safeguarding procedures. It also details how children and young people are educated to be safe

and responsible users capable of making good judgements about what they see, find and use.

The term ‘online-safety’ is used to encompass the safe use of all technologies in order to protect

children, young people and adults from potential and known risks.

Each academy will:

 emphasise the need to educate staff, children and young people about the pros and cons

of using new technologies both within and outside school

 provide safeguards and agreement for acceptable use to guide all users, whether staff or

student, in their online experiences

 ensure adults are clear about procedures for misuse of any technologies both within and

beyond the school

 develop links with parents/carers and the wider community, ensuring input into policies

and procedures with continued awareness of the benefits and potential issues related to

technologies

“The internet and the use of social media in particular has become a major factor in the

radicalisation of young people.” (KCSIE, 2015)

As academies, we are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security

Act 2015, in the exercise of our functions to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from

being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent duty. The Prevent duty

complements other key documents, guidance and advice including: Keeping children safe in

education; Working together to safeguard children; Statutory Framework for the Early Years

Foundation Stage - setting the standards for learning, development and care from birth to five.

Our key aim is to protect children from the risk of radicalisation and ensure that we have the

appropriate support mechanisms in place in order to protect children from this risk.

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Roles and Responsibilities

Governors/Headteachers

It is the overall responsibility of the Headteacher with the Governors of each academy to ensure

that there is an overview of online-safety as part of the wider remit of safeguarding across the

academy, with further responsibilities as follows:

The Headteacher has designated an Online-Safety Lead to implement agreed policies,

procedures, staff training, curriculum requirements and take responsibility for ensuring online-

safety is addressed in order to establish a safe learning environment. All staff, students and

parents are aware who takes this role within the academy.

 Time and resources should be provided for the Online-Safety Lead and staff to be trained

and to update policies, where appropriate.

 The Headteacher is responsible for promoting online-safety across the curriculum and

has an awareness of how this is being developed, linked with the School Development

Priorities for the Academy/Trust.

 The Headteacher should inform the Curriculum Committee about the progress of or any

updates to the online-safety curriculum (via PSHE or computing) and ensure Governors

know how this relates to safeguarding. At Full Governing Body meetings, all Governors

are to be made aware of online-safety developments from the Curriculum Committee

chair or through the minutes of meetings.

 Governors MUST ensure online-safety is an integral part of safeguarding education and

know how it is being addressed within the school. It is the responsibility of the Governing

Body (or the designated Safeguarding Governor) to ensure that all safeguarding

guidance and practices are embedded, including online safety.

 The governor responsible for online-safety must ensure that the academy has an Online-

Safety and Acceptable Use Policy, and an Acceptable Use Agreement with appropriate

strategies which define the roles and responsibilities for the management,

implementation and safety of ICT. The responsible governor must be confident that the

following safety measures are in place:

 firewalls

 anti-virus and anti-spyware software

 filters

 use of an accredited ISP (Internet Service Provider)

 an awareness of wireless technology issues

 a clear policy on using personal devices

 This information may be sought from the school’s IT technical support team

 Ensure that any misuse or incident has been dealt with appropriately, according to policy

and procedures, (see the Managing Allegations Procedure on Suffolk Local Safeguarding

Children’s Board website) and appropriate action is taken, even to the extreme of

suspending a member of staff, informing the police (via establishment’s agreed protocols

with the police) or involving parents/carers.

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Local Online-Safety Lead

It is the role of the designated Online-Safety Lead (this person should be a senior member of the

academy staff and not a network manager) to:

 Appreciate the importance of online-safety within the academy and to recognise that all

educational establishments have a general duty of care to ensure the safety of their

pupils and staff.

 Establish and maintain a safe ICT learning environment within the academy.

 Ensure that the Online-Safety and Acceptable Usage Policies are reviewed annually or

when necessary, with up-to-date information, and that training is available for all staff to

teach online-safety and for parents to feel informed and know where to go for advice.

 Ensure that filtering is set to the correct level for staff, children and young people, in the

initial set up of a network, stand-a-lone PC and laptops or ensure the technician is

informed to carry out this work as directed.

 Ensure that all adults are aware of the filtering levels and why they are there to protect

children and young people.

 Report issues and update the Headteacher on a regular basis.

 Liaise with the PSHE, Safeguarding and ICT/Computing Leads so that policies and

procedures are up-to-date to take account of any emerging issues and technologies.

 Update staff training (all staff) according to new and emerging technologies so that the

correct online-safety information can be taught or adhered to.

 Keep a log of incidents, which is separate from the general incidents log, for analysis to

help inform future development and safeguarding, where risks can be identified - refer to

the Managing Allegations Procedure from the SSCB to ensure the correct procedures

are used with incidents of misuse.

 Work alongside the ICT/Computing Lead or network manager to ensure there is

appropriate and up-to-date anti-virus software and anti-spyware on the network, stand-a-

lone PCs and teacher/child laptops and that this is reviewed and updated on a regular

basis.

 Ensure that staff alert the network manager if they suspect there is a virus on laptops,

stand-a-lone PCs and memory sticks or other transferable data files to minimise issues of

virus transfer.

 Ensure that unsolicited e-mails to a member of staff from other sources is minimised.

Refer to the Managing Allegations Procedure, SSCB, for dealing with any issues arising

from indecent or pornographic/child abuse images sent/received

(www.Suffolkscb.org.uk/procedures/lscb-policies-guidance-and-

protocols/SearchForm?Search=managing+allegations+procedure&action_results=Searc

h)

 Report overuse of blanket e-mails or inappropriate tones to the Headteacher and/or

Governors.

Staff and/or Adults

It is the responsibility of all adults within the school to:

 Ensure that they know who is the Senior Designated Person (and the alternate) for

Safeguarding within the academy, so that any misuse or incidents which involve a child

can be reported.

 Where an allegation is made against a member of staff it should be reported immediately

to the Headteacher/Senior Designated Person and LADO.

 In the event of an allegation made against the Headteacher, the Chair of Governors must

be informed immediately.

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 Be familiar with the Behaviour, Anti-bullying, Prevent Strategy, Safeguarding Policy and

other relevant policies so that, in the event of misuse or an allegation, the correct

procedures can be followed immediately. In the event that a procedure is unknown, staff

will refer to the Headteacher/Senior Designated Person immediately, who should then

follow the Managing Allegations Procedure, where appropriate.

 Check that filtering levels are appropriate for the children and young people and are set

at the correct level before using equipment. Report any concerns to the Online-Safety

Lead.

 Alert the Online-Safety Lead of any new or arising issues and risks that may need to be

included within policies and procedures.

 Ensure that children and young people are protected and supported in their use of

technologies so that they know how to use them in a safe and responsible manner.

Children and young people should know what to do in the event of an incident.

 Be up-to-date with online-safety knowledge that is appropriate for the age group and

reinforce through the curriculum.

 Sign an Acceptable Use Agreement to show that they agree with and accept the

agreement for staff using non-personal equipment, within and beyond the school

environment, as outlined in appendices.

 Use electronic communications in an appropriate way that does not breach the Data

Protection Act 1998. Remember confidentiality and do not disclose information from the

network, pass on security passwords or leave a station unattended when they or another

user is logged in. Ensure that a user logs off when they leave the station or the device

unattended.

 Ensure that school bursars and other staff follow the correct procedures for any data

required to be taken from the school premises.

 Report accidental access to inappropriate materials to the Online-Safety Lead.

 Use anti-virus software and check for viruses on their work laptop, memory stick or CD

when transferring information from the Internet, especially when not connected to the

school’s network.

 Ensure that all personal school storage devices (i.e. memory sticks) which are utilised by

staff members to hold sensitive information are encrypted or password protected in the

event of loss or theft.

 Report incidents of personally directed "bullying" or other inappropriate behaviour via the

Internet or other technologies using the academy’s accident/incident reporting procedure

in the same way as for other non-physical assaults.

Children and Young People

Children and young people should be:

 Involved in the review of Acceptable Use Agreement through the school council or other

appropriate group, in line with this policy being reviewed and updated.

 Responsible for following the Acceptable Use Agreement whilst within school as agreed

at the beginning of each academic year or whenever a new child attends the school for

the first time.

 Taught to use the Internet in a safe and responsible manner through ICT, PSHE or other

clubs and groups.

 Taught to tell an adult about any inappropriate materials or contact from someone they

do not know straight away, without reprimand (age and activity dependent).

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Appropriate and Inappropriate Use by Staff or Adults

Staff members have access to the network so that they can obtain age appropriate resources for

their classes and create folders for saving and managing resources.

All staff have a password to access a filtered Internet service which should not be disclosed to

anyone. Staff must not leave a computer or other device unattended whilst they are logged in.

Temporary staff will be given a guest password. Only staff and adults identified as having a need

will be given a password to access the Internet.

All staff should receive a copy of the Online-Safety and Acceptable Use Policy and a copy of the

Acceptable Use Agreement, which they need to sign, return to the school, to keep under file,

with a signed copy returned to the member of staff.

The Acceptable Use Agreement will be displayed in the staff room as a reminder that staff

members need to safeguard against potential allegations and a copy of this policy is provided to

all staff for home use.

In the Event of Inappropriate Use

If a member of staff is believed to misuse the Internet, or photographic equipment such as

mobile phones or digital cameras, in an abusive or illegal manner, a report must be made to the

Headteacher immediately. The Headteacher will follow the Managing Allegations Procedure and

the Safeguarding Policy to deal with any misconduct; all authorities will be contacted as

appropriate.

Any device belonging to the academy will be closed down and isolated and the police will be

informed.

In the lesser event of misuse or accidental misuse refer to appendices for a list of actions

relating to the scale of misuse.

By Children or Young People

The Acceptable Use Agreement is outlined in the appendices. This details how children and

young people are expected to use the Internet and other technologies within school, including

the downloading or printing of any materials. The agreements are there for children and young

people to understand what is expected of their behaviour and attitude when using the Internet.

This will enable them to take responsibility for their own actions. This also includes the

deliberate searching for inappropriate materials and the consequences for doing so.

The academy should encourage parents/carers to support the agreement with their child or

young person. This can be shown by signing the Acceptable Use Agreements together so that it

is clear to the school that the agreement are accepted by the child or young person with the

support of the parent/carer. This is also intended to provide support and information to

parents/carers when children and young people may be using the Internet beyond school.

Downloading of materials, for example, music files and photographs, needs to be appropriate

and ‘fit for purpose’, based on research for work and be copyright free.

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File-sharing via e-mail, weblogs or any other means online should be appropriate and be

copyright free when using them in or beyond school.

Each pupil has a unique password to access a filtered Internet service and know that this should

not be disclosed to anyone. Children are taught not to leave a computer or other device

unattended whilst they are logged in.

In the Event of Inappropriate Use

Should a child or young person be found to misuse the Internet whilst at school, and/or to fail to

follow the Acceptable Use Agreement, the following consequences will occur:

 suspension of the child or young person’s Internet use for a particular lesson or activity

 further misuse will result in not being allowed to access the Internet for a set period of

time

In both cases, parents will be informed by letter and the pupil will be carefully observed once the

suspension is lifted.

In the event that a child or young person accidentally accesses inappropriate materials, the child

should report this to an adult immediately and take appropriate action to hide the screen or

minimise the window so that an adult can take the appropriate action. Where a child or young

person feels unable to disclose abuse, sexual requests or other misuses against them to an

adult, they can use the Report Abuse button (www.thinkuknow.co.uk) to make a report and seek

further advice. The issue of a child or young person deliberately misusing online technologies

should also be addressed by the school.

The Trust reserves the right to confiscate and search any electronic device which has been

brought into an academy, where it has been reported that the device has been used to bully,

humiliate or deliberately upset another child or adult, invade privacy or to post indecent or racist

images or words. (Section 89 Education and Inspections Act 2006). Such a search will be

made by two members of staff; an academy may request that a search is completed by police

officers.

The Curriculum and Tools for Learning

Internet Use

Academies will teach children and young people how to use the Internet safely and responsibly.

They should also be taught, through ICT and/or PSHE lessons, how to research information,

explore concepts and communicate effectively in order to further learning. The following

concepts, skills and competencies should have been taught by the time they leave Year 6:

 internet literacy

 making good judgements about websites, social media and e-mails received

 knowledge of risks such as viruses and opening mail from a stranger

 access to resources that outline how to be safe and responsible when using any online

technologies

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 knowledge of copyright and plagiarism issues

 file sharing and downloading illegal content

 uploading information – know what is safe to upload (being careful with personal

information)

 where to go for advice and how to report abuse

These skills and competencies are taught within the curriculum so that children and young

people have the security to explore how online technologies can be used effectively, but in a

safe and responsible manner. Children and young people should know how to deal with any

incidents with confidence, as we adopt a ‘never blame the child for accidentally accessing

inappropriate materials’ culture, in the event that they have accidentally accessed something.

Personal safety – ensuring information uploaded to web sites, social media, apps and e-mailed

to other people does not include any personal information such as:

 full name (first name is acceptable, without a photograph)

 address

 telephone number

 e-mail address (unless sending an e-mail)

 name of school

 clubs attended and where

 age or DOB

 names of parents

 routes to and from school

 identifying information, e.g. I am number 8 in the school football team

Photographs should only be uploaded on the approval of a member of staff or parent/carer and

should only contain something that would also be acceptable in ‘real life’. Parents/carers should

monitor the content of photographs uploaded.

Pupils with Additional Learning Needs

The academy will provide access to a broad and balanced curriculum for all learners and

recognise the importance of tailoring activities to suit the educational needs of each pupil. Where

a student has specific learning requirements, or poor social understanding, careful consideration

will be given to the planning and delivery of online-safety awareness sessions and Internet

access.

Any relevant information regarding individual pupils will be passed on to the receiving school

when a child transfers.

School Website and Twitter Account(s)

The uploading of images to the school website and Twitter account(s) should be subject to the

same acceptable agreement as uploading to any personal online space. Permission is to be

sought from the parent/carer prior to the uploading of any images. Images may be uploaded with

faces blurred so that pupils cannot be identified. Staff must not identify pupils by name alongside

a photo on the school website or school social media account.