Acceptable Use Policy 

School Name: St. Edward’s NS

Address: Ballytivnan, Sligo

The aim of this Acceptable Use Policy 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 Therefore, if the school AUP is not adhered to this privilege will be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions – as outlined in the AUP – will be imposed.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 annually. Before signing, the AUP should be read carefully to ensure that the conditions of use are accepted and understood.

This Policy applies to all of the school’s “Devices”, which means all computers, iPads, laptops, smart phones and other IT resources.

This Policy applies to staff and students of St Edward’s NS (“the School”). The School reserves the right to amend this policy from time to time entirely at its discretion. 

This AUP was revised in June 2020 and ratified by the Board of Management on June 23rd 2020

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School’s Strategy

The school will employ a number of strategies in order 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 or an assistant.
  • Filtering software and/or equivalent systems will be used in order to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material.
  • The school will regularly monitor pupils’ Internet usage.
  • Students, teachers and assistants will be provided with training in the area of 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 storage devices in school requires a teacher’s permission. These must be scanned before use.
  • Students will observe good “netiquette” (i.e., etiquette on the Internet) at all times and will not undertake any actions that may bring the school into disrepute.
  • Teachers are advised to regularly check the “History” of web sites visited on any devices used by the children in their care.
  • The school takes every reasonable precaution to provide for online safety, but it cannot be held responsible if students access unsuitable websites either deliberately or inadvertently.
  •  On an annual basis, the school will run a programme on acceptable internet usage, for students and parents/guardians. This will cover several topics including cyber-bullying. 
  • Users of the school’s information and technology resources must not share passwords. If you allow others to use your password or assigned resource, you will be held responsible for their use. Where staff are using devices to access the school domain, these will be password protected and all school documents and information must be saved to the drive of the school domain (stedwards.ie). These devices are password protected.
  • Consistent with national laws, the Board of Management reserves the right to monitor the use of its information and technology resources and to take appropriate disciplinary actions, or denying future access privileges in cases of misuse. Staff/student use of the school’s information and technology resources constitutes consent to such monitoring. All such monitoring will be conducted in accordance with law including, where applicable, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). 

World Wide Web

  • Students will not visit Internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful or otherwise objectionable materials.
  • If a child unintentionally previews a site/email containing inappropriate material, they must tell the teacher immediately and close down the site.
  • Students will use the Internet for educational purposes only.
  • Students will be familiar with copyright issues relating to online learning.
  • Students will never disclose or publicise personal information.
  • 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.
  • Teachers will preview and evaluate web sites before children use.
  • Appropriate search engines will be used. 

Using information from the internet:

  • In order to use information from the internet effectively, it is important for pupils to develop an understanding of the nature of the internet and the information available on it. In particular, they should know that, unlike the school library for example, most of the information on the internet is intended for an adult audience, much of the information on the internet is not properly audited/edited and most of it is copyright
  • Pupils will be taught to expect a wider range of content, both in level and in audience, than is found in the school library or on TV;  
  • Teachers will ensure that pupils are aware of the need to validate information whenever possible before accepting it as true, 
  • When copying materials from the Web, pupils will be taught to observe copyright;  pupils will be made aware that the writer of an e-mail or the author of a web page may not be the person claimed.

Email

 

  • When using Google Classroom and the Gsuite Apps students will use approved class email accounts under supervision of a teacher or parent/guardian.

 

  • Students will not send or receive any material that is illegal, obscene, defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.
  • Students will not reveal their own or other people’s personal details, such as addresses or telephone numbers or pictures.
  • Students will never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they only know through emails or the internet.
  • Students will note that sending and receiving email attachments is subject to permission from their teacher.
  • Teachers must be aware of who emails are being sent to.
  • All emails are the property of the school, and must not be deleted without the permission of the teacher.

Distance Learning 

  • In circumstances where teaching cannot be conducted on the school premises, teachers may use Google Classroom, Google Meet, Zoom, SeeSaw, Study Ladder, Padlet or other platforms approved by the Principal as platforms (the “Online Platforms”) to assist with remote teaching where necessary. 
  • The school has signed up to the terms of service of the Online Platforms in use by the school. 
  • The School has enabled the most up to date security and privacy features which these Online Platforms provide. 
  • In the case of Google Classroom and Google Meet, parents/guardians must grant access to their child to have a school Gmail address such as pupilname.student@school name.ie 
  • Parents/guardians will be expected to monitor their child’s use of the Gmail address and Online Platforms. 
  • If teachers are using Zoom, parents/guardians must consent to their child having a school email address as above to allow their child access to the lessons. Where the child does not have a school email address, parents can consent by submitting their own email address for their child to access lessons on Zoom. 
  • Parents/guardians must also agree to monitor their child’s participation in any such lessons conducted on the Online Platforms. 

Internet Chat

  • Students will only have access to chat rooms, discussion forums, messaging or other electronic communication forums that have been approved by the school will only be used for educational purposes under close supervision by a teacher. 

School Website and affiliated Social Media sites

 

  • The school’s website address is www.stedwards.scoilnet.ie/blog

 

  • Pupils will be given the opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the school website or teacher approved websites e.g. Fís.
  • The publication of student work will be coordinated by a teacher.
  • Pupils’ work will appear in an educational context on Web pages with a copyright notice prohibiting the copying of such work without express written permission. 
  • Digital photographs, audio or video clips of individual students will not be published on the school website without the specific permission of the parent. Instead photographs, audio and video clips will endeavour to focus on group activities. Video clips may be password protected.
  • Personal pupil information including home address and contact details will be omitted from school web pages.
  • Pupils will continue to own the copyright on any work published.
  • Photos/Videos may be taken at specific school events e.g. assemblies, trips etc. These photos/videos and the photos/videos on our website should not be copied or posted to any social media or other website or published in any way. 
  • The Principal will review the content of the website and the social media sites regularly. The Principal and the Board welcome any suggestions about how the content may be improved.

School Facebook page

  • The official school FB page https://www.facebook.com/stedwardsns will be used as a communication tool between school and home.
  • The school principal, HSCL and Deputy Principal are appointed as administrators.
  • In line with current legislation, users of FaceBook must be over 13 years of age, therefore current pupils cannot be accepted as “friends” of the page.
  • Users should not post anything on the page that could be deemed as offensive, inappropriate or harmful. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are requested to ensure that online messages and/or comments to the school’s social media sites are respectful. Any messages written on social media are treated in the same way as written messages to the school. 
  • Users may not tag or post photographs of children on the page
  • Users should not ask to become “friends” with staff as failure to respond may cause offence. 

Media

  • Photographs/students work/videos or audio clips may be published on suitable education websites where it may be used to promote St. Edward’s N.S. and/or may appear in other media such as newspaper articles or television clips. 

Personal Phones

  • Only children who have completed the relevant permission form may bring phones to school, which are left in the office during the day. 
  • Some phones (including Smart Phones) are internet enabled. The school’s wifi details will not be shared with any students, and these phones may not be used to access the internet for any purpose. 
  • Teachers attending regularly to provide extra curricular support may be given the school wifi with the permission of the principal (e.g. Music Generation teachers).
  • Leaving a mobile phone turned on, using it in class, sending nuisance text messages or the unauthorised taking of images and/or video with a mobile phone is prohibited. 
  • Any images or recordings taken by class teachers on smartphones or other personal devices must be saved on the school (GSuite) domain and/or on to the school affiliated website and then immediately deleted from source.

Legislation

The following legislation relates to use of the Internet which teachers, students and parents should familiarise themselves with:

  • The Data Protection Act 1988
  • Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003
  •  EU General Data Protection Regulations 2018 
  • Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998
  • Interception Act 1993
  • Video Recordings Act 1989
  • Anti-Bullying Guidelines for Primary Schools 2013

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.

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.
  • Mobile phones found in the possession of children during the school day will be confiscated and left in the office,where they may only be collected by a parent or guardian.  

 

Permission form for updated Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) Date:__/__/____

Parent/Guardian

Internet Access:

I have read the AUP and grant permission for my child to access the internet. I understand that internet access in our school is intended for educational purposes. I also understand that every reasonable precaution has been taken by the school to provide for online safety but the school cannot be held responsible if pupils access unsuitable materials. 

School Website:

I accept that my child’s school work/image may be chosen for inclusion on the school website in accordance with the guidelines of the school AUP 

Signed: _________________________  Date: ___________

Parent/Guardian

Student 

  • I will only access the internet/school network under the supervision of my teacher  
  • I will not access/alter other people’s files.
  • I will only bring in CD ROMS’s/ memory sticks etc  with the permission of a teacher in the school. 
  • I will ask permission from a teacher before using the internet
  • I will report any inappropriate material to my teacher immediately to protect other pupils and myself
  • I understand that the school may check my computer files and may check the internet sites I have visited
  • I will not complete or send forms/emails without permission from my teacher
  • I will not use my full name, home address or telephone number when using the Internet.  
  • I will not download any software from the Internet.  
  • I will never organise a face to face meeting with someone I met online

 

Signed:  __________________   (pupil)   ________________ (pupil)

   

  __________________   (pupil)    ________________  (pupil)