The Model School will employ a number of strategies in order to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet. The aim of this Acceptable Use Policy (hereafter AUP) is to ensure that pupils will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s Internet resources.
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Internet Acceptable Use Policy at Monaghan Model School: Last Updated Nov. 16 2022
Aim
The aim of this Acceptable Use Policy (hereafter AUP) is to ensure that pupils will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s Internet resources in a safe and effective manner. Internet use and access is considered a school resource and privilege. Therefore, if the school AUP is not adhered to, this privilege will be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions – as outlined in the AUP – will be imposed.
The Model School also encourages its children to view Internet and other computer use as both an additional learning tool and recreational activity where appropriate. This policy was updated in May 2020 to include procedures around the safe and acceptable use of digital technology for distance learning during the enforced school closure due to Covid 19 pandemic.
Before signing, the AUP should be read carefully to indicate that the conditions of use are accepted and understood.
How we promote Safe Internet Usage
The Model School will employ a number of strategies in order to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet:
Filtering software (Pdst Department firewall) virus protection software and/or equivalent systems will be used in order to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material. These will be configured to update automatically.
Children using the internet will be working in the classroom, during lesson time and will be closely monitored by an adult (usually the class teacher).
The school can regularly monitor pupils’ Internet usage by checking records of sites visited under the ‘HISTORY’ option. ‘HISTORY’ will be set to the longest time frame possible (99 days).
Staff will regularly check compliance with the school's Internet AUP.
Pupils will generally be given specific tasks to perform, using web addresses pre-approved by teachers. Children will not be given opportunities for ‘Free surfing’ unless an adult is supervising. Where searches are necessary, these will be performed using a search engine or website such as ‘Google, Google Chrome, kidrex or ‘Scoilnet’.
The use of personal memory sticks, CD-ROMS, or other digital storage media in school requires a teacher’s permission.
Students will treat others with respect at all times and will not undertake any actions that may bring the school into disrepute.
Model School ‘Rules for Responsible Internet Use’ in school will be posted near computers from 2nd Class and upwards.
National Schools Broadband Service
The Model School uses the National Schools Broadband Service which automatically filters what we can see when we use the Internet, blocking sites and content considered inappropriate. It also features the provision of the following centrally hosted services to further enhance Internet safety and security:
- Secure email and other educational applications. Content filtering will block inappropriate email or web content.
- Online security services including firewall (prevents unauthorised access by outsiders to the school network), anti-virus software (programs or codes which can ‘infect’ a computer when attached to downloaded material) and spam (unsolicited emails) management.
Students will use approved class email accounts under supervision by or permission from a teacher.
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 detail, 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 may set up a designated school email address that can be used for making direct contact with families of pupils in his/her class. This correspondence will normally be made using the parent’s email address. Senior pupils who may wish to set up their own email address to submit work or make contact with his/her teacher must only do so with written parental consent. The parent will be cc in all emails. A copy of this will be forwarded to the Principal and retained as part of school data protection records.
What happens if a pupil is exposed to offensive or upsetting material?
If there is an incident in which a pupil is exposed to offensive or upsetting material the school will wish to respond to the situation quickly and on a number of levels. Responsibility for handling incidents involving children will be taken by the pupil's class teacher in consultation with the Principal. All the teaching staff will be made aware of the incident at a Staff Meeting if appropriate.
If one or more pupils discover (view) inappropriate material our first priority will be to give them appropriate support. The pupil's parents/carers will be informed and given an explanation of the course of action the school has taken. The school aims to work with parents/carers and pupils to resolve any issue;
If staff or pupils discover unsuitable sites the Principal/IT co-ordinator will be informed. The Principal/IT co-ordinator will report the URL (address) and content to the Internet Service Provider and watchdogs such as www.hotline.ie.
Pupils are expected to play their part in reducing the risk of viewing inappropriate material by obeying the ‘Model School ‘Rules for Responsible Internet Use’, which have been designed to help protect them from exposure to internet sites carrying offensive material.
Sanctions
If pupils abuse the privileges of access to the internet or use of e-mail facilities by failing to follow the rules they have been taught, or failing to follow the agreed search plan when given the privilege of undertaking their own internet search, then the following sanctions may be applied 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. See Anti- Bullying Policy, Photography Policy, Data Protection Policy and School policy on Mobile Phones & Digital Media
Legislation:
The school AUP complies with the following legislation relating to use of the Internet: EU General Data Protection Regulations 2018, Anti-Bullying Guidelines for Primary schools 2013, Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003, Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998, Interception Act 1993, Video Recordings Act 1989, The Data Protection Act 1988.
These documents are available from http://www.ncte.ie/InternetSafety/Advice/Legislation/
Support Structures Parents can report websites/ organisations that deal with illegal material or harmful use of the Internet to www.hotline.ie. Further information regarding Internet Safety is available from: http://www.ncte.ie/InternetSafety/Publications/, www.saft.ie and www.webwise.ie and www.makeITsecure.ie.
SCHOOL WEBSITE www.modelnsmonaghan.com
Acknowledging Parents' Concerns
When considered useful and beneficial the school or the Parent’s Association may run information evenings addressing safe internet and mobile phone usage.
Many parents have concerns about pupil photographs being published on School Web Sites or the Internet. We take these concerns very seriously particularly in relation to the content of our Web site.
We are aware that there is an argument against publishing a pupil's work or photograph on the Internet at all. However, we balance against this the belief that friends and relatives and the pupils themselves take great pleasure in seeing their work acknowledged in this way and in seeing themselves in a group photograph on the Web.
A School Web Site which contains only reports and policies is bland and of little interest to our own pupils or pupils and parents in the wider community. We believe that the risks to pupils can be minimised by teachers adhering to the following guidelines.
Guidelines for Developing and Maintaining the School Web Site
The school will obtain parental permission for publishing pupil's work and/or photograph on the Web. This permission will remain valid for the duration of a pupil's enrolment in the school unless such permission is withdrawn in writing by a parent or guardian.
Only information that is relevant to the content of the Web page will be published - additional or superfluous information will not be published.
Personal pupil information including name, home address and contact details will be omitted.
Staff will be identified by their title and surname unless they request otherwise.
Permission will be sought from other individuals before they are referred to by name on any pages we publish on our web site.
The publication of student work will be co-ordinated by a teacher.
Pupils will be given the opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the World Wide Web. Pupils’ work will appear in an educational context on Web pages.
Photographs, audio or video clips of individual students will not be published on the school website. Instead, photographs, audio and video clips will focus on group activities. Video clips may be password protected.
If the Web page invites contact from other internet users, the school email address will be used, and such contact will be monitored by teachers. Parents/guardians will be informed of the Web site address: (www.modelnsmonaghan.com)
Distance Learning
In circumstances where teaching cannot be conducted on the school premises, teachers may use Google Classroom, Google Meet, Zoom, Google Hangouts, SeeSaw, Symbaloo or other platforms approved by the Principal as “Online Platforms” to assist with remote teaching where necessary. A variety of other Online Platforms are also used regularly in teaching and learning including typing club, iknowit, Adobe Spark, topmarks and other platforms approved for Primary School pupils.
The individual teacher using the Online Platform has signed up to the terms of service of the Online Platforms on behalf of the school and has enabled the most up to date security and privacy features which these Online Platforms provide.
In the case where Google Classroom and Google Meet is used parents/guardians must grant access to their child to have a school Gmail address such as pupilname.student@school name
Parents/guardians will be provided with the password and 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.
Teacher approved links to some YouTube videos that are deemed useful to explain or compliment work set may also be used as part of teaching and learning.
Roles and Responsibilities
It is the overall responsibility of the entire school staff with the support of parents to ensure that these guidelines are implemented within the school environment.
Implementation
This updated version of the AUP will be implemented from May 2020
Review
It is envisaged that this AUP will be revised annually or as the need arises.
Communication
When ratified by Board of Management, this policy will be communicated to all parents who have pupils enrolled in the Model School. Thereafter it will be issued to parents of new entrants into all classes within the school
Ratification
Approved by the Board of Management and Parent representatives on 24th October 2022
Signed by Chairperson of BOM ___________________________________