Aim
The aim of this Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to ensure that pupils
will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s Internet
resource 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this privilege will be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions – as outlined in the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 version of the AUP was created in September 2016 and by the school
principal, the school’s ICT steering committee, staff, parents and Board of
Management, in consultation with the National Council for Technology in
Education (NCTE).
School’s Strategy
The school employs 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.
·
Filtering
software and/or equivalent systems will be used in order to minimise the risk
of exposure to inappropriate material. Our filtering system is provided by
Bulldog Anti-virus software.
·
The
school will regularly monitor pupils’ Internet usage.
·
Cyberbullying
of any kind will NOT be tolerated and will be treated in the strongest terms
according to our Code of Discipline Policy.
·
Teachers
will be trained and students will be taught lessons in the area of Internet
safety.
·
Parents
can access advice on safe internet usage by visiting www.webwise.ie
·
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 floppy disks, 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.
·
The
class teacher will explain the rules to the children before they use the
internet.
·
Children
will be instructed as to what sites they can visit before each computer lesson.
World Wide Web
- Students
will not intentionally visit Internet sites that contain obscene, illegal,
hateful or otherwise objectionable materials.
- Students
will report accidental
accessing of inappropriate materials in accordance with school procedures.
- Students from first class to sixth class will only be allowed to
use the internet and this must be with written
parental consent.
- Students
will use the Internet for educational purposes only.
- Students will not copy information into assignments and fail to
acknowledge the source (plagiarism and copyright infringement).
- Students
will never disclose or publicise personal information.
- Downloading materials or images not relevant to their studies, is
in direct breach of the school’s acceptable use policy.
- 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.
Email
- 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 material 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.
- Students
will only have access to chat rooms, discussion forums, messaging or
electronic communications systems that have been approved by the school
and will be used for educational purposes only.
- Usernames
will be used to avoid disclosure of identity.
- Face-to-face
meetings with someone organised via Internet chat will be strictly
forbidden.
School Website
- The school website is www.stbodensns.ie
- Pupils
will be given the opportunity to publish projects, video, podcasts,
photographs, artwork or school work on the World Wide Web 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 of pupils or staff.
- Website using facilities such as guestbooks, noticeboards or
weblogs will be checked frequently to ensure that they do not contain
personal details
- The
publication of student work will be co-ordinated by a teacher.
- Photographs, video clips and voice
recordings of the children will
be uploaded to the school’s website. These will not contain personal
details.
- The school
will endeavour to use digital photographs, audio and video clips focusing
on group activities. Content focusing on individual students will not
contain personal details of the child in question.
- Personal
pupil information including home address and contact details will be
omitted from school web pages.
- The school website will avoid publishing the first name and last
name of individuals in a photograph.
- The school will ensure that the image files are appropriately named
– will not use pupils’ names in image file names or ALT tags if published
on the web.
- Pupils
will continue to own the copyright on any work published.
Personal Devices
Pupils are not permitted to bring in any electronic devices into the
school without the permission of their class teacher.
Pupils using their own technology in school, leaving a mobile phone
turned on, sending nuisance text messages, or the unauthorized taking of images
with a mobile phone camera, still or moving, is in direct breach of the
school’s acceptable use policy.
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, email, school
website or blogs will result in disciplinary action in accordance with our
school’s Code of Discipline Policy.
Review
This Acceptable Use Policy will be ratified by the Board of
Management in 2018. It is to be reviewed annually, by the ICT coordinators,
teachers, principal, parents and the Board of Management.