Internet safety
The internet is an essential resource in 21st-century teaching and learning and we encourage students to use it safely. Internet use is a statutory part of the curriculum and a necessary tool for both staff and students. Through the use of school PC’s, laptops and tablets, students currently access the internet via websites, emailing, blogging, gaming, learning platforms and Google Apps for Education.
The school internet network is:
- Designed specifically for student use.
- Includes an internal filtering system, SmoothWall, which is monitored internally and in conjunction with Peterborough Local Authority.
- Follows an acceptable use policy for both staff and students.
- Used to publish and present information where appropriate.
- Ensure staff are aware of their responsibility to report any unsuitable online materials that are accessible to students immediately as they are aware of them.
Students are taught:
- How to effectively use the internet for research.
- Acceptable and unacceptable usage of the internet.
- How to ensure that their use of the internet complies with copyright law and how to acknowledge sources of information in line with these laws and guidelines.
- How to report unacceptable internet content and user behaviour to staff and through CEOP.
- Awareness of dangers online relating to grooming, CSE and risk of radicalisation and how to report any such risk they encounter.
The above skills and knowledge will be embedded across the school curriculum along with being taught explicitly in Computing, PSHE lessons, and through participation in whole school and national initiatives based around e-safety such as National Safer Internet Day.
Managing Internet Access
- All staff and student user logins and details not to be shared.
- When users leave a station/device they should either logout or click the lock button.
- School ICT systems and security will be reviewed regularly in line with guidance from the Local Authority.
- Students may only use approved e-mail accounts on the school system.
- These accounts may not be used to sign up for personal sites such as social media and gaming outside of those directed by teachers and/or the leadership team.
- Students’ Gmail accounts are to be monitored regularly by the curriculum e-safety co-ordinator.
- Students must report any suspicious or inappropriate behaviour by contacting a member of staff immediately.
- Staff have a duty to ensure that emails to external bodies (including those sent by students) are presented in a considered way.
- Users (staff and students) must not send jokes or material others may find offensive.
- The school email systems are not to be used by staff or students as personal email accounts.
