SCOIL IÓSAF NAOFA BALLINTEMPLE

SCOIL IÓSAF NAOFA BALLINTEMPLE

Le Chéile Is Féidir

Scoil Iósaf Naofa Phone: 021-4293608

Crab Lane Email: oifig@ballintemplens.com

Ballintemple principal@ballintemplens.com

Cork Website: www.ballintemplens.com

T12 WA02

Internet Acceptable Usage Policy

Introduction

This policy has been formulated by Scoil Iósaf Naofa, Ballintemple to assist teachers, pupils and parents in making an informed decision in relation to the safe and practical use of technology in education. A full review of the policy was undertaken during the first term of the 2020-21 school year. The review group included staff, parents and Board of Management representatives.

The purpose of the Internet Acceptable Usage Policy is to ensure that pupils will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s internet and Information Technology resources (mobile devices, tablets etc) in a safe and effective manner and will be protected from harmful and illegal use of the Internet.

Scoil Iósaf Naofa will employ a number of strategies to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet. These strategies are as follows:

1. Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP): This policy has been compiled with the goal of ensuring that proper planning and appropriate procedures are in place for all internet use at the school.

2. Education:

3. Filtering / Monitoring

1. Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP)

World Wide Web - Internet Usage

· The internet will be used for educational purposes only

· Internet sessions will always be supervised by a teacher / SNA

· Pupils will seek permission before entering any Internet site, unless previously approved by a teacher

· NCTE Filtering is used to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material

· The school will regularly monitor pupils’ internet usage

· Pupils will receive training in the area of internet safety

· Pupils will be taught to evaluate the content of internet sites

· Teachers will be made aware of internet safety issues

· Uploading and downloading of non-approved material is prohibited

· Virus protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis

· The use of external storage devices in school requires a teacher’s permission

· Pupils will observe good “netiquette” (etiquette on the internet) at all times and will not undertake any action that may bring a school into disrepute

Email

If pupils are allowed to use email, the following rules will apply:

· Email will be used for educational purposes only

· Students will only use approved class email accounts under supervision by or permission from a teacher

· Pupils will not send or receive any material that is illegal, obscene, defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person

· Pupils will not send text messages to or from school email

· Pupils will not reveal their own or other people’s personal details e.g. addresses, telephone numbers, or pictures via school email

· Pupils will never arrange to meet someone via school email

· Sending or receiving email attachments is subject to teacher permission.

Internet Chat

· Chat rooms, discussion forums or other electronic communication forums (e.g. Skype, Google Hangout, Zoom, Instant Messaging) will only be used for educational purposes and will always be supervised by a teacher.

· Such forums may be used to facilitate remote teaching and learning.

School Website

· The Principal (or other nominated staff members) will manage the publication of material on the school website.

· Personal pupil information, home addresses and contact details will not be published on the school website

· Digital photographs, video clips and audio clips will focus mainly on groups and group activities rather than on individual pupils. ( exception - photographs of individual children e.g. prize-winners etc)

· Pupils will be given an opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the school website. Permission to publish a student’s work will be sought from pupil's parents/ guardians. This permission may be withdrawn at any time.

· Pupils will continue to own the copyright on any work published.

Seesaw

· Permission will be sought from parents before children can use Seesaw.

· Once permission has been granted, class teacher will send log in code to children’s parents.

· User guide will be forwarded to parents to children/ parents navigate the platform.

· Seesaw will be used in all classes to facilitate remote learning (if necessary).

· AET will engage with their students via Seesaw if the school is using the platform during remote learning.

· Seesaw will be used by all class teachers as their assessment folder.

· Communication will be two way between teacher and student/parent.

· All users will observe good etiquette at all times and not bring the school into disrepute.

Aladdin

· Ballintemple National School uses Aladdin as it’s Communication Information system.

· Permission will be sought before information is stored on Aladdin.

· The school uses Aladdin to store information on staff and children.

· The school uses Aladdin to communicate with staff and parents.

· Parents/ staff can download the Aladdin Connect App onto their own personal device.

2. Education

· Scoil Iósaf Naofa will undertake an education programme to educate children on the safe, responsible use of the Internet. Ref: SPHE School Policy -

· The school's Parents Association / Board of Management will regularly host guest speakers at the school to speak on the topic of Internet Safety to both pupils and parents.

Personal Media Devices / Social Media:

· Mobile phones or other electronic devices are not allowed in school unless requested to do so by the class teacher. I would suggest that mobile phones or devices brought into school without prior permission are to be confiscated for the duration of the school day.

· The primary point of contact for all parents is via the school secretary.

· The device will only be turned on with the consent of the class teacher.

· No photographs can be taken or recordings (video or audio) made using a personal electronic device /digital

camera unless instructed to do so by the class teacher.

· Incidents where pupils use personal device to bully other pupils or send offensive messages or calls will be investigated under the school's Anti-Bullying policy. It should be noted that it is a criminal offence to use a mobile phone to menace, harass or offend another person.

Guidelines for the safe use of iPads :

· Pupils will follow the teacher's instructions, accessing only the applications approved by the teacher.

· Pupils require permission from the class teacher before sending any form of electronic message.

· Any recordings (audio or visual) taken at school, cannot be transmitted, broadcast or

transferred without the teacher's approval. The camera & audio function may only be used under a teacher's direction.

· Pupils should not leave their iPads unattended when in use.

· Identity theft (pretending to be someone else) is in direct breach of the school's Acceptable Use Policy.

· Staff will receive training in the safe use of iPads in advance of use in the classroom

Sanctions

If a pupil deliberately misuses the internet this will result in disciplinary action, including the withdrawal of access privileges. Parents/guardians will receive notification of misuse by a pupil.

Resources that may be used to implement this programme include

NCTE Internet Safety Awareness Video

Use of the ‘Kids’ section on the www.webwise.ie website

SAFT Internet Safety Awareness Education Programme and exemplars

Filtering

‘Filtering’ is a term used to describe a way of limiting the content of web pages, emails, chat rooms and other electronic data to which users may be exposed. No filter is 100% accurate. The most effective filtering tool is adult vigilance.

Many browsers have their own built in filtering tool e.g. Google. Google’s search engine has a built-in “Safe Search”. This filter eliminates sites that contain pornography and explicit sexual content from search results. It is easily applied by clicking on the Preferences link on any Google page. Unfortunately it is also easily removed.

The access to websites from all school computers is monitored by the NCTE. Websites are only accessible following a verification of their suitability.

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on 15th December, 2020

This policy will be reviewed in the first term of 2023.

Peter JohnsonBryan McCarthy

Chairperson, BoM.Principal.

Responsible Internet Use- Pupil Undertaking

We use the School computers and Internet connection for learning.

These rules will help us to be fair to others and keep everyone safe.

I will ask permission before entering any website, unless my teacher has already approved that site.

I will not bring external storage devices such as pen drives (or memory sticks/USB keys etc.) into school without permission.

I will not use email/ Seesaw for personal reasons.

I will only use email/ Seesaw for school projects and with my teacher’s permission.

The messages I send will be polite and sensible.

When sending e-mail/ messages, I will not give my home address or phone number or arrange to meet anyone.

I will ask for permission before opening an e-mail/ Seesaw or an e-mail/ Seesaw attachment.

I will only use internet online messaging e.g. Zoom, chat rooms etc with the permission of the class teacher and for educational purposes only.

If I see anything I am unhappy with or if I receive a message I do not like, I will tell a teacher immediately.

I know that the school may check my computer files and may monitor the sites I visit.

I understand that if I deliberately break these rules, I could be stopped from using the Internet and computers and my parents will be informed.

Signed: __________________________________________________________Pupil(s)

Signed: _________________________ Parent/Guardian Date: _______________

Internet Permission- on Aladdin

As the parent or legal guardian of the named child, I have read the Internet Acceptable Use Policy and grant permission for my child to access the Internet. I understand that school internet usage is for educational purposes only and that every reasonable precaution will be taken by the school to provide for online safety.

I accept my own responsibility for the education of my child(ren) on issues of Internet Responsibility and Safety.

I understand that having adhered to all the enclosed precautions the school cannot be held responsible if my child tries to access unsuitable material.

School Website Permission- on Aladdin

I understand that, if the school considers it appropriate, my child’s schoolwork may be chosen for inclusion on the school’s website. I understand and accept the terms of the Acceptable Usage Policy in relation to publishing pupils’ work and photographs of school activities on the website.

Pupil Sheet: Protect Yourself Online

· Have a good strong password (CAPITALS, lowercase, &*^%$£” and 298315764) & keep it private. Treat it like your toothbrush (do not share it with friends & change it regularly)

· Know your privacy setting for each online account –Check them regularly as they can

change.

· Only accept people as ‘friends/followers’ if you know and trust them in real life.

Remember anyone you accept as a friend/follower, you invite them into your life!!!!

· Before you post images/videos/information online or send them through your phone/tablet

ask yourself “could this image/video/information be used to”

1. Make fun of me??

2. Get me into trouble???

3. Or does it give away too much personal information???

If you answer yes to any of these then do not send it because once you hit send you lose control over that image/information and can never fully get it back.

· Certain sites online can be full of hate. Protect your own mental health by avoiding sites that cause you pain and upset. Instead use sites that you enjoy, which have

better safety measures and reporting features.

· Only share your number/username with friends you trust and never put your phone

number online. This way you can protect yourself against unwanted texts and prank calls. Block people that send you unwanted messages or prank call.

· Respect your friends –do not tag them in pictures that will affect them or post content online that will hurt them.

· Finally, think before you post or hit send. Count to 10 and ask yourself “if this information became public, how would it affect me? And how would it affect others

Mobile Phone & Electronic Device Policy

Introduction

This policy was drawn up in response to technological advances, which have seen a significant increase in mobile phone hand held electronic devices over recent years.

Rationale

The following procedures have been put in place to ensure minimal and safe usage of mobile phones and electronic devices in our school, due to the facts that:

· Mobile phones, smart phones, smart watches, tablets, portable game devices, recording devices etc. can be intrusive and distracting in a school environment.

· Strategies must be put in place to reduce the intrusiveness of unauthorised technology in a school situation.

· Social media and messaging may be used to conduct bullying campaigns.

Aims:

It is our aim:

· To lessen intrusions on and distractions to children’s learning during the school day.

· To ensure children have maximum opportunities to socialise positively in the school setting.

· To ensure that electronic devices in and owned by the school (tablets, laptops etc.) are used under the instruction and supervision of staff only, and are used for educational and learning purposes.

· To ensure that our pupils are safe online

· To reduce the chance of cyber bullying.

Policy in School

The following are the rules for mobile/smart phones and electronic devices at Scoil Iósaf Naofa.

· Pupils are not allowed to bring mobile/smart phones, smart watches or any electronic devices (including cameras and other recording devices) to Scoil Iósaf Naofa in earlier sections of the document you refer to the school as Ballintemple National School under any circumstances without permission of staff of Scoil Iósaf Naofa. (eg. Bring Your Own Device work with teachers)

· Children who need to contact home during school hours are welcome to do so through the school secretary or class teacher (using the school phone).

· Any pupil who brings one of these devices to school without permission will have it confiscated and it will only be returned to a parent/guardian at a time that is convenient for the school.

· The use of school owned electronic devices (tablets/ laptops etc.) is strictly under the supervision of staff and in line with our Acceptable Usage Policy.

· Additionally, the school will provide online safety education for pupils to endeavour to keep pupils educated on any risks associated with mobile phones, tablets or internet enabled devices – such as cyber bullying, social media security and content.

· The school will seek training for parents/guardians in keeping their children safe online.

Guidelines for Parents.

After consultation with the Parents Association we ask that parents ensure their child does not have access to social media in any format. The digital age of consent is 16 in Ireland, which means that children under this age cannot have their own email or social media accounts. Social media is constantly changing and evolving which means parents/guardians must remain extremely vigilant towards their children’s online activity and monitor it closely.

Parents/Guardians are requested to ensure that their child does not have their own social media account on any platform and that they do not access any form of social media, including their parents’/guardians’ accounts, on devices at home.

Cyber bullying and interaction with strangers will most likely occur via social media and by ensuring that none of our pupils have access to it we can help to reduce the likelihood of them encountering these types of issues. With co-operation from parents/guardians, we can reduce the chance of exposure to these risks for our children. By ensuring that our pupils do not have access to social media we will also reduce ‘peer pressure’ to be active on these accounts, which many parents have reported to be a significant problem.

It is important for parents/guardians to realise these are only guidelines and for this to be a success, it is up to parents to ensure that these are adhered to outside the school setting.

We realise that children will have access to devices and the internet and, if managed correctly, this access can be a beneficial and educational experience for children. However, parents/guardians need to be extremely vigilant as to the dangers that can exist online even in seemingly innocent applications. They also need to be aware of the risk present in online gaming (minecraft, Xbox etc) and the dangers that this can potentially pose for young children. Training for parents/guardians to help keep their children safe online will be provided by the National Parents Council and more resources can be found at https://www.webwise.ie/parents/ .

Implementation, Review and Communication

This policy was initially drafted and introduced in 2019. The Board of Management will monitor the implementation of all aspects of this policy and amend as required.

The policy will be reviewed, as necessary, in the light of experience.

www.ballintemplens.comTel: 021-4293608E-mail: oifig@ballintemplens.com

Principal: Mr. Bryan McCarthy

Deputy Principal: Ms. Deirdre Sayers Assistant Principal: Mr. Colm Lucey