Online safety policy

Next review date: September 2024

Contents

1. Aims.

2. Legislation and guidance.

3. Roles and responsibilities.

4. Educating pupils about online safety.

5. Educating parents about online safety.

6. Cyber-bullying.

7. Acceptable use of the internet in school.

8. Pupils using mobile devices in school.

9. Staff using work devices outside school.

10. How the school will respond to issues of misuse.

11. Training.

12. Monitoring arrangements.

13. Links with other policies.

Appendix 1: EYFS and KS1 acceptable use agreement (pupils and parents/carers).

Appendix 2: acceptable use agreement (staff, governors, volunteers and visitors).

1. Aims

Our school aims to:

• Have robust processes in place to ensure the online safety of pupils, staff, volunteers and governors
• Deliver an effective approach to online safety, which empowers us to protect and educate the whole school community in its use of technology
• Establish clear mechanisms to identify, intervene and escalate an incident where appropriate

2. Legislation and guidance

This policy is based on the Department for Education’s (DfE) statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, and its advice for schools on:

• Teaching online safety in schools
• and cyber-bullying: advice for headteachers and school staff
• Searching, screening and confiscation

It also refers to the DfE’s guidance on protecting children from radicalisation.

It reflects existing legislation, including but not limited to the Education Act 1996 (as amended), the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Equality Act 2010. In addition, it reflects the Education Act 2011, which has given teachers stronger powers to tackle cyberbullying by, if necessary, searching for and deleting inappropriate images or files on pupils’ electronic devices where they believe there is a ‘good reason’ to do so.

The policy also takes into account the National Curriculum computing programmes of study.

This policy complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.

3. Roles and responsibilities

3.1 The governing board

The governing board is responsible for monitoring this policy and holding the headteacher accountable for its implementation.

The governing board will coordinate regular meetings with appropriate staff to discuss online safety and monitor online safety logs as provided by the designated safeguarding lead (DSL).

The governor who oversees safeguarding within the school is Edward Powell .

All governors will:

• Ensure that they have read and understand this policy
• Agree and adhere to the terms on acceptable use of the school’s ICT systems and the internet (appendix 3)

3.2 The headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for ensuring that staff understand this policy and that it is being implemented consistently throughout the school.

3.3 The designated safeguarding lead

Our child protection and safeguarding policy and relevant job descriptions set out details of the school’s DSL and deputy.

The DSL takes lead responsibility for online safety in school, in particular:

• Supporting the headteacher in ensuring that staff understand this policy and that it is being implemented consistently throughout the school
• Working with the headteacher, ICT manager and other staff, as necessary, to address any online safety issues or incidents
• Ensuring that any online safety incidents are logged and dealt with appropriately in line with this policy
• Ensuring that any incidents of cyber-bullying are logged and dealt with appropriately in line with the school behaviour policy
• Updating and delivering staff training on online safety.
• Liaising with other agencies and/or external services if necessary
• Providing regular reports on online safety in school to the headteacher and/or governing board

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

3.4 The ICT Technician

The ICT technician is responsible for:

• Putting in place appropriate filtering and monitoring systems, which are updated regularly and keep pupils safe from potentially harmful and inappropriate content and contact online while at school, including terrorist and extremist material
• Ensuring that the school’s ICT systems are secure and protected against viruses and malware and that such safety mechanisms are updated regularly
• Conducting a full security check and monitoring the school’s ICT systems weekly.
• Blocking access to potentially dangerous sites and, where possible, preventing the downloading of potentially hazardous files
• Ensuring that any online safety incidents are logged (see Appendix 5) and dealt with appropriately in line with this policy.
• Ensuring that any incidents of cyber-bullying are dealt with appropriately in line with the school behaviour policy

This list is intended to be partial.

3.5 All staff and volunteers

All staff, including contractors agency staff, and volunteers, are responsible for the following:

• Maintaining an understanding of this policy
• Implementing this policy consistently
• Agreeing and adhering to the terms on acceptable use of the school’s ICT systems and the internet (appendix 3), and ensuring that pupils follow the school’s terms on acceptable use (appendices 1)
• Working with the DSL to ensure that any online safety incidents are logged as per cpoms and dealt with appropriately in line with this policy
• Ensuring that any incidents of cyber-bullying are dealt with appropriately in line with the school behaviour policy

This list is intended to be partial.

3.6 Parents

Parents are expected to:

• Notify a member of staff or the headteacher of any concerns or queries regarding this policy
• Ensure their child has read, understood and agreed to the terms on acceptable use of the school’s ICT systems and internet (appendices 1)

Parents can seek further guidance on keeping children safe online from the following organisations and websites:

• What are the issues? – UK Safer Internet Centre
• Hot topics – Childnet International
• Parent factsheet – Childnet International
• Healthy relationships – Disrespect Nobody

3.7 Visitors and members of the community

Visitors and members of the community who use the school’s ICT systems or the Internet will be made aware of this policy when relevant and expected to read and follow it. If appropriate, they will be expected to agree to the terms on acceptable use (Appendix 2).

4. Educating pupils about online safety

Pupils will be taught about online safety as part of the curriculum:

In Key Stage 1, pupils will be taught to:

• Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private
• Identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies

Pupils in Key Stage 2 will be taught to:

• Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly
• Recognise acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
• Identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact

By the end of primary school, pupils will know:

• People sometimes behave differently online, including by pretending to be someone they are not
• The same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including the importance of respect for others online, including when we are anonymous
• The rules and principles for keeping safe online, how to recognise risks, harmful content and contact, and how to report them
• How to critically consider their online friendships and sources of information, including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met
• How information and data is shared and used online
• How to respond safely and appropriately to adults they may encounter (in all contexts, including online) whom they do not know

Other relevant subjects will also cover safe use of social media and the internet.

Assembly are used to raise pupils' awareness of the dangers that can be encountered online. They may also invite speakers to talk to pupils about this.

5. Educating parents about online safety

The school will raise parents’ awareness of internet safety through letters or other communications home and information via our website and tweets. This policy will also be shared with parents.

Online safety will also be covered during parents’ evenings.

If parents have any queries or concerns about online safety, they should first raise them with the headteacher and/or the DSL.

Concerns or queries about this policy can be raised with any staff member or the headteacher.

6. Cyber-bullying

6.1 Definition

Cyberbullying takes place online, such as through social networking sites, messaging apps or gaming sites. Like other forms of bullying, it is the repetitive, intentional harming of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power. (See also the school behaviour policy anti-bullying policy, and online safety policy)

6.2 Preventing and addressing cyber-bullying

To help prevent cyberbullying, we will ensure that pupils understand what it is and what to do if they become aware of it happening to them or others. We will also ensure that pupils know how to report any incidents and are encouraged to do so, including where they are witnesses rather than victims.

The school will actively discuss cyber-bullying with pupils, explaining the reasons why it occurs, the forms it may take, and the consequences. Class teachers and the ICT teacher will also discuss cyberbullying with classes.

Teaching staff are also encouraged to find opportunities to use aspects of the curriculum to address cyberbullying. This includes personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education and other subjects where appropriate.

As part of safeguarding training, all staff, governors, and volunteers (where appropriate) receive training on cyber-bullying, its impact, and ways to support pupils (see section 11 for more detail).

The school also sends parents information/leaflets on cyberbullying so that they know the signs, how to report it, and how to support children who may be affected.

For a specific cyber-bullying incident, the school will follow the processes set out in the behaviour policy. Where illegal, inappropriate or harmful material has been spread among pupils, the school will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure the incident is contained.

The DSL will consider whether to report the incident to the police if it involves illegal material and will work with external services if necessary.

6.3 Examining Electronic Devices

School staff have the specific power under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (which has been increased by the Education Act 2011) to search for and, if necessary, delete inappropriate images or files on pupils’ electronic devices, including mobile phones, iPads and other tablet devices, where they believe there is a ‘good reason’ to do so.

When deciding whether there is a good reason to examine or erase data or files on an electronic device, staff must reasonably suspect that the data or file in question has been, or could be, used to:

• Cause harm and/or
• Disrupt teaching and/or
• Break any of the school rules

If inappropriate material is found on the device, it is up to the staff member in conjunction with the DSL or other member of the senior leadership team to decide whether they should:

• Delete that material, or
• Retain it as evidence (of a criminal offence or a breach of school discipline), and/or
• Report it to the police

Any pupil searches will be carried out in accordance with the DfE’s latest guidance on screening, searching, and confiscation and the school’s COVID-19 risk assessment.

The school complaints procedure will handle any complaints about searching for or deleting inappropriate images or files on pupils’ electronic devices.

7. Acceptable use of the Internet in school

All pupils, parents, staff, volunteers, and governors are expected to sign an agreement regarding the acceptable use of the school’s ICT systems and the Internet (appendices 1-2). Visitors will also be expected to read and agree to the school’s terms on acceptable use if relevant.

The school’s internet must be used for educational purposes only or to fulfill the duties of an individual’s role.

We will monitor the websites visited by pupils, staff, volunteers, governors and visitors (where relevant) to ensure they comply with the above.

More information is set out in the acceptable use agreements in appendices 1 and 2.

8. Pupils using mobile devices in school

Pupils may bring mobile devices into school but are not permitted to use them during:

• Lessons
• Tutor group time
• Clubs before or after school, or any other activities organised by the school

Pupils' use of mobile devices in school must be in accordance with the acceptable use agreement (see appendices 1).

Any breach of the acceptable use agreement by a pupil may trigger disciplinary action in line with the school behaviour policy, which may result in confiscating their device.

9. Staff using work devices outside of school

All staff members will take appropriate steps to ensure their devices remain secure. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Keeping the device password-protected – strong passwords are at least eight characters, with a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. asterisk or currency symbol)
• Ensuring their hard drive is encrypted – if the device is lost or stolen, no one can access the files stored on the hard drive by attaching it to a new device.
• Making sure the device locks if left inactive for a while
• Not sharing the device among family or friends
• Installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software
• Keeping operating systems up to date – always install the latest updates

Staff members must not use the device in any way which would violate the school’s terms of acceptable use, as set out in Appendix 2.

Work devices must be used solely for work activities.

If staff have any concerns over the security of their device, they must seek advice from the Headteacher.

10. How the school will respond to issues of misuse

Where a pupil misuses the school’s ICT systems or internet, we will follow the procedures set out in our behaviour policies. The action will depend on the specific incident's circumstances, nature and seriousness and will be proportionate.

Where a staff member misuses the school’s ICT systems or the internet or misuses a personal device, and the action constitutes misconduct, the matter will be dealt with by the staff disciplinary procedures/staff code of conduct. The action taken will depend on the individual circumstances, nature, and seriousness of the specific incident.

The school will consider whether incidents involving illegal activity, content, or otherwise serious incidents should be reported to the police.

11. Training

As part of their induction, all new staff members will receive training on safe internet use and online safeguarding issues, including cyber-bullying and the risks of online radicalisation.

All staff members will receive refresher training at least once each academic year as part of safeguarding training and relevant updates as required (for example, through emails, e-bulletins, and staff meetings).

The DSL and deputy will undertake child protection and safeguarding training, including online safety, at least every two years. They will also update their knowledge and skills on online safety at regular intervals, at least annually.

Governors will receive training on safe internet use and online safeguarding issues as part of their safeguarding training.

Volunteers will receive appropriate training and updates, if applicable.

Our child protection and safeguarding policy sets out more information about safeguarding training.

12. Monitoring arrangements

All staff will log behaviour and safeguarding issues related to online safety using CPOMs.  The DSL will then deal with them as appropriate.

The SLT will review this policy every year and share it with the governing board at each review.

13. Links with other policies

This online safety policy is linked to our:

• Child protection and safeguarding policy
• Behaviour policy
• Staff disciplinary procedures
• Data protection policy and privacy notices
• Complaints procedure / Colleague Code of Conduct

Appendix 1: Student Device Agreement Form

Students in need of remote learning can be issued a device for their educational use if reasonable precautions and care are taken when using the device. Each parent/guardian should review this form carefully with their child.

All devices issued to students are for accessing remote learning and other educational uses. Students must follow the guidelines below and take additional common-sense precautions to protect the device. Students are responsible for taking care of the device. The policies this document outlines are intended to cover all available technologies, not just those specifically listed.

By accepting this equipment, I agree to ensure that my child adheres to the following:

Return of Device

This device is being loaned for the student’s use during remote learning. It is the property of the Co-op Academy Nightingale and must be returned when on-site learning resumes unless otherwise instructed by the Co-op Academy Nightingale.

Student Name______________________________________          Year Group _________________

Equipment Loaned __________________________________           Asset Tag __________________

Serial Number ______________________________________

Care and Maintenance

• The student or family is responsible for the laptop's daily care and maintenance. Any damage or theft must be reported to the Co-op Academy Nightingale within one school day.
• Keep the laptop in a safe place when not in use.
• Students and families should report problems to 0113 2489539. Do not attempt to remove, add, or change the device's physical structure, including keys, memory, battery, screen, charger, ID labels, etc.
• Carry the device carefully at all times. Do not store items on top of the device.
• You are liable for the cost of replacing the equipment if it is damaged, lost or stolen.

• The Academy cannot be held responsible for damage to files or data loss incurred whilst using the equipment.
• The Academy assumes no responsibility for files stored on the hard drive or for recovering files accidentally left on the hard drive after the equipment has been returned.

Usage Guidelines

In general, all students are expected to use good judgment and common sense, be safe, appropriate, careful, and kind online, not attempt to circumvent technological protection measures, and ask an adult for help if they need it.

Academy Student Acceptable Use – Agreement / eSafety Rules

• I will only use ICT systems in the Academy, including the internet, e-mail, digital video, mobile technologies, etc., for academic purposes.
• I will not download or install software on Academy technologies.
• I will only log on to the Academy network/ Learning Platform with my username and password.
• I will follow the Academy’s ICT security system, not reveal my passwords to anyone, and change them regularly.
• I will only use my Academy email address.
• I will ensure that all ICT communications with students, teachers or others are responsible and sensible.
• I will be responsible for my behaviour when using the Internet, including the resources I access and the language I use.
• I will not deliberately browse, download, upload, or forward material that could be considered offensive or illegal. If I accidentally come across such material, I will report it immediately to my teacher.
• I will not give out personal information such as name, phone number or address.  I will only arrange to meet someone if this is part of an Academy project approved by my teacher.
• Images of students and/ or staff will only be taken, stored, and used for Academy purposes in accordance with Academy policy and will not be distributed outside the Academy network without the written permission of the Principal.
• I will ensure that my online activity, both in and outside the Academy, does not distress my Academy, the staff, students, or others or bring it into disrepute.
• I will respect the privacy and ownership of others’ work online at all times.
• I will not attempt to bypass the internet filtering system.
• I understand that my use of the Internet and other related technologies can be monitored and logged and that my teachers can access this information.
• I understand that these rules are designed to keep me safe. If they are not followed, Academy sanctions will be applied, and my parent/ carer may be contacted.
•  Never interfere with any anti-virus software installed on your Academy ICT equipment.
• If your machine is not routinely connected to the Academy network, you must make provision for regular virus updates through your IT team.
• If you suspect a virus on any Academy ICT equipment, stop using the equipment and contact your ICT support provider immediately. The ICT support provider will advise you on what actions to take and be responsible for advising others who need to know.

I acknowledge that I have read the above information and agree to the terms of the equipment loan. As the parent/carer of the named student, I understand that it is my responsibility to ensure that they stay safe online.

Parent Name ______________________________________________

Parent Signature___________________________________________

Appendix 2: KS2 acceptable use agreement (pupils and parents/carers)