Internet Acceptable Use Policy

General Approach

The aim of this Internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to ensure that pupils will benefit from the learning opportunities offered by the school’s internet resources in a safe and effective manner.

Internet use and access is considered a school resource and privilege. If the school AUP is not adhered to appropriate sanctions will be imposed.

When using the internet pupils, parents and staff are expected:

  • To treat others with respect at all times.
  • Not undertake any actions that may bring the school into disrepute.
  • Respect the right to privacy of all other members of the school community.
  • Respect copyright and acknowledge creators when using online content and resources.

This Acceptable Use Policy applies to pupils who have access to and are users of the internet in St John the Baptist NS. It also applies to members of staff, volunteers, parents, carers and others who access the internet in St John the Baptist NS.

Misuse of the internet may result in disciplinary action, including written warnings, withdrawal of access privileges, detention and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion. The school also reserves the right to report any illegal activities to the appropriate authorities.

St John the Baptist NS will deal with incidents that take place outside the school that impact on the wellbeing of pupils or staff under this policy and associated codes of behaviour and anti-bullying policies. In such cases St John the Baptist NS will, where known, inform parents/carers of incidents of inappropriate online behaviour that take place out of school.

St John the Baptist NS implements the following strategies on promoting safer use of the internet :

  • Pupils will be provided with education in the area of internet safety as part of our implementation of the SPHE curriculum.
  • Teachers will be provided with continuing professional development opportunities in the area of internet safety.
  • St John the Baptist NS participates in Safer Internet Day activities to promote safer more effective use of the internet.

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed annually by the following stakeholders:

  • Board of Management, teaching staff, and pupils.

This policy has been developed by a working group including: Principal, Deputy Principal, teachers, and representatives of the Board of Management.

The implementation of this Internet Acceptable Use policy will be monitored by all school staff.

Content Filtering

St John the Baptist NS has chosen to implement the following level on content filtering on the Schools Broadband Network:

  • Level 4 This level allows access to millions of websites including games and YouTube but blocks access to websites belonging to the personal websites category and websites such as Facebook belonging to the Social Networking category.

Pupils taking steps to by-pass the content filter by using proxy sites or other means may be subject to disciplinary action, including written warnings, withdrawal of access privileges, detention and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion.

Web Browsing and Downloading

 

Pupils will not intentionally visit internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful or otherwise objectionable materials.

Pupils will report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials in the classroom to their teacher.

Pupils and staff 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.

Pupils will use the school’s internet connection only for educational and career development activities.

Pupils will not engage in online activities such as uploading or downloading large files that result in heavy network traffic which impairs the service for other internet users.

Pupils will not download or view any material that is illegal, obscene, and defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.

  • Use of file sharing and torrent sites is not allowed.
  • Downloading by pupils of materials or images not relevant to their studies is allowed with staff permission.

 

 

 

 

Email and Messaging

  • The use of personal email accounts is only allowed at St John the Baptist NS with expressed permission from members of the teaching staff.
  • Pupils should not under any circumstances share their email account login details with other pupils.

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

Pupils should immediately report the receipt of any communication that makes them feel uncomfortable, is offensive, discriminatory, threatening or bullying in nature and must not respond to any such communication.

Pupils should avoid opening emails that appear suspicious. If in doubt, pupils should ask their teacher before opening emails from unknown senders.

Social Media

The following statements apply to the use of messaging, blogging and video streaming services in St John the Baptist NS :

  • Use of instant messaging services and apps including Snapchat, Whats Apps, G Chat etc. is not allowed in St John the Baptist NS.
  • Use of blogs such as Word Press, Tumblr etc. is allowed in St John the Baptist NS with express permission from teaching staff.
  • Use of video streaming sites such as YouTube and Vimeo etc. is with express permission from teaching staff.

Staff and pupils must not use social media and the internet in any way to harass, insult, abuse or defame pupils, their family members, staff, other members of the St John the Baptist NS community

Staff and pupils must not discuss personal information about pupils, staff and other members of the St John the Baptist NS community on social media.

Staff and pupils must not use school email addresses for setting up personal social media accounts or to communicate through such media.

Staff and pupils must not engage in activities involving social media which might bring St John the Baptist NS into disrepute.

Staff and pupils must not represent your personal views as those of bring St John the Baptist NS on any social medium.

 

Personal Devices

 

Pupils using their own technology in school should follow the rules set out in this agreement, in the same way as if they were using school equipment.

The following statements apply to the use of internet-enabled devices such as tablets, gaming devices, and digital music players in St John the Baptist NS :

  • Pupils are only allowed to bring personal internet-enabled devices into St John the Baptist NS with expressed permission from staff.
  • Pupils are only allowed to use personal internet-enabled devices during lessons with expressed permission from teaching staff.
  • Pupils are not allowed to use personal internet-enabled devices during social time.

Images & Video

Care should be taken when taking photographic or video images that pupils are appropriately dressed and are not participating in activities that might bring the individuals or the school into disrepute.

At St John the Baptist NS pupils must not take, use, share, publish or distribute images of others without their permission.

Taking photos or videos on school grounds or when participating in school activities is only allowed with expressed permission from staff.

Written permission from parents or carers will be obtained before photographs of pupils are published on the school website.

Pupils must not share images, videos or other content online with the intention to harm another member of the school community regardless of whether this happens in school or outside.

Sharing explicit images and in particular explicit images of pupils and/or minors is an unacceptable and absolutely prohibited behaviour, with serious consequences and sanctions for those involved. Sharing explicit images of other pupils automatically incurs suspension as a sanction.

Cyberbullying

When using the internet pupils, parents and staff are expected to treat others with respect at all times.

Engaging in online activities with the intention to harm, harass, or embarrass and another pupil or member of staff is an unacceptable and absolutely prohibited behaviour, with serious consequences and sanctions for those involved.

Measures are taken by St John the Baptist NS to ensure that staff and pupils are aware that bullying is defined as unwanted negative behaviour, verbal, psychological or physical, conducted by an individual or group against another person (or persons) and which is repeated over time. This definition includes cyber-bullying even when it happens outside the school or at night.

The prevention of cyber bullying is an integral part of the anti-bullying policy of our school.

 

School Website

Pupils will be given the opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the internet 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, privacy, or reputation of students or staff.

The publication of students work will be coordinated by a teacher.

Personal student information including home address and contact details will not be published on St John the Baptist NS web pages.

Ratified by the Board of Management January 2020.