St. Patrick’s National School
Lisboduff
Internet Acceptable Usage Policy
This policy was reviewed in February 2018 as part of Lisboduff National School’s Safeguarding Children Risk Assessment.
Educationalists believe in the benefits of curriculum-based internet use. The purpose of the Internet Acceptable Usage Policy is to ensure that pupils will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s internet resources, and will be protected from harmful and illegal use of the Internet.
Lisboduff National School will employ a number of strategies to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet.
These strategies are as follows:
If a pupil deliberately misuses the internet or email, this will result in disciplinary action, including the withdrawal of access privileges. Parents/guardians will receive written notification of misuse by a pupil.
Internet
If pupils are allowed to use email, the following rules will apply:
Students are not permitted to use internet chat rooms.
School Website
Our school website can be viewed at www.lisboduffns.weebly.com .
Teachers will manage the publication of material on the school website.
A major element of our website will be the sharing of school events and celebrations through displaying photographs. The publication of material on the school website will be subject to adhering to the stipulations below:
Photography and Recording
Education
Lisboduff National School will undertake an education programme to educate children on the safe, responsible use of the Internet.
21st century life presents dangers including violence, racism and exploitation from which children and young people need to be protected. At the same time they need to learn to recognise and avoid these risks – to become internet wise.
Resources that may be used to implement this programme include
‘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.
Lisboduff National School has filtering software. The access to websites from all school computers is monitored and regularly reviewed by the NCCA. Websites are only allowed through following a verification of their suitability.
Lisboduff
Internet Acceptable Usage Policy
This policy was reviewed in February 2018 as part of Lisboduff National School’s Safeguarding Children Risk Assessment.
Educationalists believe in the benefits of curriculum-based internet use. The purpose of the Internet Acceptable Usage Policy is to ensure that pupils will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s internet resources, and will be protected from harmful and illegal use of the Internet.
Lisboduff National School will employ a number of strategies to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet.
These strategies are as follows:
- Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP)
- Education
- Filtering/Monitoring
If a pupil deliberately misuses the internet or email, this will result in disciplinary action, including the withdrawal of access privileges. Parents/guardians will receive written notification of misuse by a pupil.
Internet
- Internet will be used for educational purposes only
- Internet sessions will always be supervised by a teacher
- Pupils will seek permission before entering any Internet site, unless previously approved by a teacher
- Filtering software will be 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 banned
- Virus protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis
- The use of personal floppy disks, external storage devices or CD-ROMS 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
- ‘YouTube’ (and similar sites) can be accessed only under the supervision and direction of the teacher.
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.
Students are not permitted to use internet chat rooms.
School Website
Our school website can be viewed at www.lisboduffns.weebly.com .
Teachers will manage the publication of material on the school website.
A major element of our website will be the sharing of school events and celebrations through displaying photographs. The publication of material on the school website will be subject to adhering to the stipulations below:
- Personal pupil information, home addresses and contact details will not be published on the school website.
- Class lists will not be published.
- Pupils’ full names will not be published beside their photograph.
- Digital photographs, video clips and audio clips will focus on groups and group activities rather than on individual pupils when possible.
- Teachers may select work to be published and decide on the appropriateness of such.
- Pupils will continue to own the copyright on any work published.
- All photographs and audiovisual images will be copyright Lisboduff NS and may not be used without the permission of the school. Site visitors will be informed that they may not be included on any other website, social media site or reproduced in any electronic or printed form.
Photography and Recording
- Teachers will only use school devices in order to photograph/record children.
- Under no circumstances should personal devices or phones be used to photograph/record pupils.
- After use, all images should be uploaded to the schools photo drive and saved in a folder with dates/class and a brief description of the event. Photographs should be deleted from the camera.
Education
Lisboduff National School will undertake an education programme to educate children on the safe, responsible use of the Internet.
21st century life presents dangers including violence, racism and exploitation from which children and young people need to be protected. At the same time they need to learn to recognise and avoid these risks – to become internet wise.
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’ 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.
Lisboduff National School has filtering software. The access to websites from all school computers is monitored and regularly reviewed by the NCCA. Websites are only allowed through following a verification of their suitability.