Acceptable Use Policy for the Internet

Introduction

The aim of this Internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to ensure that pupils will benefit from the 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. If the school AUP is not adhered to this privilege may be withdrawn.

When using the internet pupils, parents and staff are expected:

• To treat others with respect at all times.
• Not undertake any actions that may bring the school into disrepute.
• Respect the right to privacy of all other members of the school community.
• Respect copyright and acknowledge creators when using online content and resources.

This Acceptable Use Policy applies to pupils who have access to and are users of the internet in Scoil Bhríde JNS.

It also applies to members of staff, volunteers, parents/guardians and others who access the internet in Scoil Bhríde JNS.

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.

Scoil Bhríde JNS will deal with incidents that take place outside the school that impact on the wellbeing of pupils or staff under this policy and associated codes of behaviour and anti-bullying policies. In such cases Scoil Bhríde JNS will, where known, inform parents/guardians of incidents of inappropriate online behaviour that take place out of school and impose the appropriate sanctions.

Scoil Bhríde JNS implements the following strategies on promoting safer use of the internet:

• Pupils will be provided with education in the area of internet safety as part of our implementation of the SPHE curriculum and by visiting www.webwise.ie
• Teachers will be provided with continuing professional development opportunities in the area of internet safety. See www.webwise.ie

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed annually by the following stakeholders:

• Board of Management, teaching staff, support staff, pupils, and parents

The school will monitor the impact of the policy using:

• Logs of reported incidents.

Should serious online safety incidents take place, the Principal should be informed.

The implementation of this Internet Acceptable Use policy will be monitored by the Principal and teaching staff.

 

 

Content Filtering

Scoil Bhríde JNS has chosen to implement the following level on content filtering on the Schools Broadband Network:

• Split Level – This level allows different filtering levels for different ages / stages and different groups of users; staff / pupils etc.

 

Web Browsing and Downloading

 

It should be noted that, in general, pupils in Scoil Bhríde are not given the opportunity to access any content via the internet. All use of devices is strictly controlled and monitored.

 

Pupils will not intentionally visit internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful or otherwise objectionable materials.

Pupils will report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials in the classroom to their teacher.

Pupils will report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials outside the classroom to their class teacher.

Pupils and staff will not copy information from the internet without acknowledging the creator and referencing the source of the content.

Pupils and staff 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.

Pupils will use the school’s internet connection only for educational activities.

Pupils will not engage in online activities such as uploading or downloading large files that result in heavy network traffic which impairs the service for other internet users.

Pupils will not download or view any material that is illegal, obscene, and defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.

Downloading by pupils of materials or images not relevant to their studies is not allowed.

 

Email and Messaging

Pupils will not be given school email addresses and will not have access to email during school hours.

 

 

Social Media

The following statements apply to the use of messaging, blogging and video streaming services in Scoil Bhríde JNS:

• Use of blogs such as Word Press is allowed in Scoil Bhríde JNS under the supervision of teaching staff.
• Use of video streaming sites such as YouTube and Vimeo is allowed under the supervision of the teaching staff.

 

Staff and pupils must not use social media and the internet in any way to harass, insult, abuse or defame pupils, their family members, staff, other members of the Scoil Bhríde JNS community

Staff and pupils must not discuss personal information about pupils, staff and other members of the Scoil Bhríde JNS community on social media.

Staff and pupils must not use school email addresses for setting up personal social media accounts or to communicate through such media.

Staff and pupils must not engage in activities involving social media which might bring Scoil Bhríde JNS into disrepute.

Staff and pupils must not represent their personal views as those of Scoil Bhríde JNS on any social medium.

Pupils will never disclose or publicise any personal information.

 

 

Personal Devices

The following statements apply to the use of internet-enabled devices such as tablets, phones, gaming devices, and digital music players in Scoil Bhríde JNS:

• Pupils are not allowed to bring personal internet-enabled devices into Scoil Bhríde JNS.
• Pupils are not allowed to use personal internet-enabled devices during lessons.
• Pupils are allowed to use personal internet-enabled devices during social time.

 

Images & Video

Care should be taken when taking photographic or video images that pupils are appropriately dressed and are not participating in activities that might bring the individuals or the school into disrepute.

At Scoil Bhríde JNS pupils must not take, use, share, publish or distribute images of others without their permission.

Taking photos or videos on school grounds or when participating in school activities is allowed once care is taken that no harm is done to staff or pupils of Scoil Bhríde JNS.

Written permission from parents/guardians will be obtained before photographs of pupils are published on the school website.

Pupils must not share images, videos or other content online with the intention to harm another member of the school community regardless of whether this happens in school or outside.

Sharing explicit images and in particular explicit images of pupils and/or minors is an unacceptable and absolutely prohibited behaviour, with serious consequences and sanctions for those involved. Sharing explicit images of other pupils automatically incurs suspension as a sanction.

 

Cyberbullying

When using the internet pupils, parents and staff are expected to treat others with respect at all times.

Engaging in online activities with the intention to harm, harass, or embarrass another pupil or member of staff is an unacceptable and absolutely prohibited behaviour, with serious consequences and sanctions for those involved.

Measures are taken to ensure that staff and pupils are aware that bullying is defined as unwanted negative behaviour, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against another person (or persons) and which is repeated over time. This definition includes cyber-bullying even when it happens outside the school or after school hours.

Isolated or once-off incidents of intentional negative behaviour, including a once-off offensive or hurtful text message or other private messaging, do not fall within the definition of bullying and will be dealt with, as appropriate, in accordance with the school’s code of behaviour.

The prevention of cyber bullying is an integral part of the anti-bullying policy of our school.

 

The School Website

Pupils may be given the opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the internet in accordance with clear policies and approval processes regarding the content that can be loaded to the school’s website.

The website will be regularly checked to ensure that there is no content that compromises the safety, privacy, or reputation of pupils or staff.

The publication of pupil work will be coordinated by a teacher.

Scoil Bhríde JNS will endeavor to use only digital photographs, audio or video clips focusing on group activities. Content focusing on individual pupils will only be published on the school website with parental permission.

Scoil Bhríde JNS will avoid publishing the first name and last name of pupils in video or photograph captions published online.

Personal pupil information including home address and contact details will not be published on Scoil Bhríde JNS web pages.

iPads/ Tablets

Pupils should follow teacher’s instructions accessing only the applications to which the teacher has agreed.

Pupils require permission before sending any form of electronic message.

Audio or vision taken at school cannot be transmitted, broadcast or transferred without the teachers permission.

The camera and audio recording functions may only be used under the teachers’ direction.

Identity theft (Pretending to be someone else) is in direct breach of the school’s acceptable use policy.

Pupils will be advised that in the event of a child accidently accessing inappropriate material or images during a lesson, the student will immediately minimize the page and report the incident to the class teacher without attracting the attention of other students.

iPads must be handled with care at all times.

Any damage to the device must be reported immediately to the teacher.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

Each class teacher is responsible for the conduct of their own class. Any breaches of the AUP policy will be brought to the immediate attention of the Principal and Deputy Principal.

 

Policy ratified by the Board of Management