Internet and Acceptable Use Policy

Cosby N.S.      10544w

Internet Acceptable Use Policy

Introduction 

Cosby National School recognises that access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) gives our students enhanced opportunities to learn, engage, communicate and develop skills that will prepare them for many aspects of life. To that end, we provide access to ICT for student use. This Acceptable Use Policy outlines the guidelines and behaviours that our students, staff and parents are expected to follow when using school technologies for school activities of any nature.

General Approach

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 If the school AUP is not adhered to this privilege may be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions will be imposed.

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 and staff who have access to and are users of the internet in Cosby National School.

• It also applies to members of staff, volunteers, parents, carers and others who access the internet in Cosby National School.

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.

Cosby National School 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 Cosby National School will, where known, inform parents/carers of incidents of inappropriate online behaviour that take place out of school and impose the appropriate sanctions.

Cosby National School 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. (webwise)
• Internet sessions will always be supervised by a teacher.
• Teachers will be provided with continuing professional development  opportunities in the area of internet safety.

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

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

This policy has been developed by a working group including: Principal, Deputy Principal, teachers and representatives of the Board of Management.

The school will monitor the impact of the policy using:

• Logs of reported incidents. 
• Surveys and/or questionnaires of pupils, parents, and teaching staff.
• monitoring of school emails via Gsuite Vault 

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

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

Content Filtering

Cosby National School has chosen to implement the following level on content filtering on the Schools Broadband Network:

• Level 4. This level allows access to millions of websites including games and YouTube but blocks access to websites belonging to the personal websites category and websites such as Facebook belonging to the Social Networking category.

Pupils taking steps to by-pass the content filter by using proxy sites or other means may be subject to disciplinary action, including written warnings, withdrawal of access privileges and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion.

Web Browsing and Downloading

• 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 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 and career development 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.

• Use of file sharing is allowed with staff permission via  google classroom 

Email and Messaging

• The use of personal email accounts is not allowed at Cosby National School ,all children have been issued with a school email account via google classroom. New children enrolling in the school will receive their school email if/when needed. 

• Pupils should not under any circumstances share their email account login details with other pupils.

• Pupils must not use school email accounts to register for online services such as social networking services, apps, and games. (google classroom) 

• Pupils will use approved class email accounts only under supervision by or permission from a teacher. (google classroom)

• Pupils should be aware that email communications are monitored, this will be done via the Gsuite Vault App

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

• Pupils should immediately report the receipt of any communication that makes them feel uncomfortable, is offensive, discriminatory, threatening or bullying in nature and must not respond to any such communication.

• Pupils should avoid opening emails that appear suspicious. If in doubt, pupils should ask their teacher before opening emails from unknown senders.

Social Media

The following statements apply to the use of messaging, blogging and video streaming services in Cosby National School:

• Use of instant messaging services and apps by students including Snapchat, Whats App, G Chat etc. is not allowed in Cosby National School. 

• Use of blogs such as WordPress, for the website is allowed in Cosby National School with express permission from teaching staff. 

• Use of video streaming sites such as YouTube and Vimeo etc. is allowed, with express permission from teaching staff. For example the children may seek permission to watch a Youtube video for educational purposes as part of a small group separate from the main class.

• Staff,  pupils and parents/guardians 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 Cosby National School community

• Staff, pupils and parents must not discuss personal information about pupils, staff and other members of the Cosby National School 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, pupils and parents must not engage in activities involving social media which might bring Cosby National School into disrepute.

• Staff, pupils and parents must not represent their personal views as those of Cosby National School on any social medium.

Personal Devices

Pupils using their own technology in school should follow the rules set out in this agreement, in the same way as if they were using school equipment.

The following statements apply to the use of internet-enabled devices such as tablets, gaming devices, and digital music players in Cosby National School:

• Pupils are not allowed to bring personal internet-enabled devices into Cosby National School. This applies to all school trips and excursions. 

• Pupils may be allowed to bring a mobile phone to school with the express permission of the Principal.This is linked to our Mobile Devices policy – where we also state that pupils are not permitted to bring their own devices to school, except in exceptional circumstances which are pre-arranged. Please see this policy for examples 

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 Cosby National School 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 Cosby National School. 

• Taking photos or videos by students on school grounds or when participating in school activities is only allowed with express permission from staff and using one of the school digital devices. 

• Written permission from parents or carers will be obtained before photographs of pupils are published on the school website.

• Parents, staff and pupils must not share images of other school community members on any social media platforms without the individual or parent/guardian’s express permission to do so. 

• 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.
• Please see photo and video policy for more info

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 by Cosby National School 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 at night.

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 cyberbullying is an integral part of the anti-bullying policy of our school. This is included in our anti-bullying policy which was updated in March 2019. 

School Website

• Pupils will 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 students or staff.

• The publication of student work will be coordinated by a teacher.

• Cosby National School will use only digital photographs, audio or video clips focusing on group activities. Content focusing on individual students will only be published on the school website with parental permission.

• Personal student information including home address and contact details will not be published on Cosby National School web pages.

• Cosby National School will avoid publishing the first and last name of pupils in video or photograph captions published online.

Ratification

This policy was ratified by The Board of Management of Cosby N.S. at its meeting

 on ___________________.

signed _____________________ (Chairperson)

Parents may obtain a copy of this policy from the Principal or it may be viewed at the school on appointment with the Principal

Permission Form

Legislation

The school will provide information on the following legislation(through the school website on the useful websites page) relating to use of the Internet which teachers, students and parents should familiarise themselves with:

• Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003 
• Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998
• Video Recordings Act 1989
• The Data Protection Act 1988

I agree to follow the school’s Acceptable Use Policy on the use of the Internet. I will use the Internet in a responsible way and obey all the rules explained to me by the school. 

Student’s Signature: ________________________  

Parent/Guardian : __________________________

Date: ____________________________________

As the parent or legal guardian of the above student, I have read the Acceptable Use Policy and grant permission for my son or daughter or the child in my care to access the Internet. I understand that Internet access 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 students access unsuitable websites. 

In relation to the school website, I accept that, in line with the Data Protection Statement, my child’s school work may be chosen for inclusion on the website. I understand and accept the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy relating to publishing students’ work on the school website. 

Signature: _____________________________ Date: ___________________ 

Address:  

______________________________ 

______________________________ 

______________________________ 

______________________________

Please review the attached school Internet Acceptable Use Policy, and sign and return this permission form to the Principal. 

School Name:______________________ 

Class/Year:______________________ 

Student:______________________

Appendix 1