Internet Access & Use in School

Each classroom is linked to the school WiFi network and has an interactive whiteboard connected to a teachers laptop. Pupils have access to the class bank of tablets and the school’s bank of laptops which are timetabled for class and group use so that computing can be taught as a discreet subject and IT can be used to support the teaching of other subjects across the curriculum. 

Examples of this include researching a range of topics, presenting their work using a range of applications, using digit media for art and design, digital photography, data handling and statistics tools and mapping software.

The school takes cyber-safety very seriously and children are not allowed to access the internet at school without adult supervision. On entering school, children and parents will be asked to complete an internet safety agreement which sets out rules for internet use while in school. We hope that all parents will support and monitor safe and appropriate internet use at home.

Some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate or potentially offensive to some people. Whilst we have filtered access to the Internet which makes the majority of such sites inaccessible, this system is not 100% effective.

Whilst our aim for Internet use is to further educational goals and objectives and to supervise Internet activity in classrooms, pupils may find ways to access other materials as well. We believe that the benefits to pupils from access to the Internet, in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration, exceed any disadvantages.

Critical within this is educating pupils to access and use the internet safely, the application of judgement in regards to content found on the internet and what to do if they find content that upsets them or they are approached online by somebody unknown to them. 

During school, teachers will guide pupils toward appropriate materials and websites. Outside of school, families have the same responsibility for such guidance as they already do with information sources such as television, telephones, movies, radio and other potentially offensive media.

E-Safety

The Internet is a wonderful tool and resource but it can present risks to users who do not understand or recognise the risks or to those who are not supported in using the Internet safely.

In allowing our children to access the internet we make it impossible to protect and prevent them from seeing any harmful of upsetting content. We therefore need to support them in knowing how to avoid this content or what to do if they are exposed to it. The NSPCC has produced a very simple set of guidelines that we fully endorse. You can find a link to their website here…

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

They suggest a very simple approach but it is important that you as adults are fully engaged in your children’s online lives. They suggest you work together as a TEAM

T = TALK about staying safe online.

E = EXPLORE their online world together

A = AGREE rules about what’s ok and what’s not ok

M = MANAGE your families settings and controls

We have also included a link to the Online safety guides for parents and carers from the National Online Safety organisation.

https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/

A copy of our e-safety policy can be found on the policies page of this website.