Roselyn House School / The RHISE Service
E-SAFETY POLICY
MISSION STATEMENT
Moving forwards together to a positive future.
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic more online learning and resources have taken place. Policies have been updated to reflect this. This policy should be read along with Online Safety Policy, Social Media Policy and Remote Learning Policy.
E-Safety may be described as the school’s ability to:
The breadth of issues classified within e-safety is considerable, but can be categorised into three areas of risk:
Examples given later
Why is Internet use important?
How does the Internet benefit
education?
Benefits of using the Internet in education include:
How can Internet use enhance learning?
How will students learn to evaluate Internet content?
How will e-mail be managed?
How should Web site content be managed?
Chat Rooms and social Media
See Social Media Policy
New Technologies
Online tutoring/ Remote Learning
In light of the coronavirus pandemic online video tutoring/ remote learning may be used to enhance the education of students.
Roselyn House Facebook and Twitter
The community page is a digital safe space for students to be able to stay in touch with school and our staff; following Roselyn House School's/ The RHISE Service Safeguarding, Online and E-Safety Policies. All staff have been requested to create ‘Roselyn’ profile pages so that they can interact with the page and students whilst still maintaining professional boundaries. All interactions should be facilitated through the Community page. Staff are not to add or accept friend requests from students but to direct them to the community page. Once the ‘Roselyn Community’ page has been liked and followed by the individual profiles staff will see posts from the page on their timelines. All posts by ‘visitors’ can be viewed in the community section of the page. Where possible any posted from staff including videos will be shared by the page admin so will be visible on the main page and appearing on followers’ timelines therefore more accessible to our students. Written consent has been received from Parents/ Carers for their child to access this.
There is also a main Facebook Page and Twitter account which is used for information and celebration.
How will Internet access be authorised?
How will the risks be assessed?
Other common risks include:
Content
Contact
Conduct
How will filtering be managed?
Web Filtering
Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service utilises an internet filtering facility provided by Rawstream Ltd. The web filtering service provides the ICT Manager with a web interface with which they can control and monitor internet usage in both of our school sites. Rawstream’s GUI (Graphical User Interface) allows easy monitoring of web traffic and allows the blocking of unsuitable websites either by category or by direct URL (Uniform Resource Locator) blocking. The web interface is accessed at least once a week by the ICT Manager to ensure no unsuitable URL’s are being accessed or any access has been attempted and appropriate action taken to prevent any further breaches. The software allows for blocking categories such as Social Media, Adult content, Chat Rooms, Drug use, amongst many others. The software also provides blocking for Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) which users can utilise to access otherwise blocked websites via a third party URL or a web browser add on extension. It also provides a search engine filter which ensures that any non age appropriate content is allowed on the schools networks .YouTube access is also filtered so it only shows age appropriate content. The webfilter is active on both the Wired Local Area Network and over the WiFi access points.
How will the policy be introduced to students?
“Ensure students know that apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat collect data and keep permanent records of all the information they collect. Even Snapchat, beloved for its disappearing messages, keeps unread messages on a server for 30 days. And some programs that open Snapchat content outside of the app allow recipients to permanently save messages without the server knowing.” (edudemic April 2015)
How will staff be consulted?
All staff must accept the terms of the ‘Responsible Internet Use’ statement before using any Internet resource in school.
All staff including teachers, supply staff, learning support assistants and auxiliary staff, will be provided with the School e-safety Policy of which they can also find on the school’s network.
Staff should be aware that Internet traffic can be monitored and traced to the individual user. Discretion and professional conduct is essential.
The monitoring of Internet use is a sensitive matter. Staff who operate monitoring procedures should be supervised by senior management.
Staff development in safe and responsible Internet use and on the school e-safety policy will be provided as required.
How will ICT system security be maintained?
Wide Area Network (WAN) security issues include:
How will complaints regarding Internet use be handled?
How will parents’/ carers’ support be enlisted?
https://www.e-safetysupport.com/trainingcourses/17/training
Internet Across the Community
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Safeguarding Policy, Social Media Policy, Electronic Information And Communications System Policy and Data Protection Policy (GDPR).
Reviewed: December 2019
Updated April 2020 with amendments to reflect the current Covid- 19 Pandemic.
Reviewed June 2021
Reviewed June 2022
S.Damerall, D.Somers
References
Particularly for Parents/ Carers and Children.
For Schools and Colleges
National Action for Children (NCH) www.nchafc.org.uk/itok/
Parents Guide on Internet usage
Bullying Online www.bullying.co.uk
Advice for children, parents and schools
FKBKO- For Kids by Kids Online www.fkbko.co.uk
Excellent Internet savvy for kids; KS1 to KS3
Parents Information Network (PIN) www.pin.org.uk
Comprehensive guidelines on Internet Safety
Internet Safety Parents
www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Internetsafety/index.htm
UK Safer Internet Centre- www.saferinternet.org
Parentsprotect- parentsprotect.co.uk
A guide for parents/ carers about potential dangers their children can face when using the internet.
Kidsmart www.kidsmart.org.uk
An internet safety site from Childnet, with low cost leaflets for parents.
Think U Know? www.thinkyouknow.co.uk/
Home Office site for students and parents explaining Internet dangers and how to stay in control.
Family Guide Book (DfES recommended) www.familyguidebook.com
Parents Guide on Internet usage
NCH Action for Children www.nchafc.org.uk
Expert advice for children, young people and parents/ carers.
Safekids) www.safekids.com
Family guide to making Internet safe, fun and productive.
Internet Watch Foundation www.iwf.org.uk/
Reporting criminal online content
The following link provides access to a wide ranging glossary of technological terms in current use: http://www.digizen.org/glossary/.
Notes on the legal framework
Many young people and indeed some staff use the Internet regularly without being aware that some of the activities they take part in are potentially illegal. The law is developing rapidly and changes occur frequently. Please note this section is designed to inform users of legal issues relevant to the use of communications, it is not professional advice.
Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
This Act makes it a criminal offence to threaten people because of their faith, or to stir up religious hatred by displaying, publishing or distributing written material which is threatening. Other laws already protect people from threats based on their race, nationality or ethnic background.
Criminal Justice Act 2003
Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 came into effect in April 2005, empowering courts to impose tougher sentences for offences motivated or aggravated by the victim's sexual orientation in England and Wales.
Sexual Offences Act 2003
It is an offence to take, permit to be taken, make, possess, show, distribute or advertise indecent images of children in the United Kingdom. A child for these purposes is anyone under the age of 18. Viewing an indecent image of a child on your computer means that you have made a digital image. An image of a child also covers pseudo-photographs (digitally collated or otherwise). This can include images taken by and distributed by the child themselves (often referred to as “Sexting”). A person convicted of such an offence may face up to 10 years in prison.
The offence of grooming is committed if you are over 18 and have communicated with a child under 16 at least twice (including by phone or using the Internet) it is an offence to meet them or travel to meet them anywhere in the world with the intention of committing a sexual offence.
Causing a child under 16 to watch a sexual act is illegal, including looking at images such as videos, photos or webcams, for your own gratification.
It is also an offence for a person in a position of trust to engage in sexual activity with any person under 18, with whom they are in a position of trust. (Typically, teachers, social workers, health professionals, connexions staff etc fall in this category of trust).
Any sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 13 commits the offence of rape.
N.B. Schools should already have a copy of “Children & Families: Safer from Sexual Crime” document as part of their child protection packs.
More information about the 2003 Act can be found at www.teachernet.gov.uk
Communications Act 2003 (section 127)
Sending by means of the Internet a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or sending a false message by means of or persistently making use of the Internet for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety is guilty of an offence liable, on conviction, to imprisonment.
This wording is important because an offence is complete as soon as the message has been sent: there is no need to prove any intent or purpose.
Data Protection Act 1998
The Act requires anyone who handles personal information to notify the Information Commissioner’s Office of the type of processing it administers, and must comply with important data protection principles when treating personal data relating to any living individual. The Act also grants individuals rights of access to their personal data, compensation and prevention of processing.
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 (sections 1 — 3)
Regardless of an individual’s motivation, the Act makes it a criminal offence to:
· gain access to computer files or software without permission (for example using someone else’s password to access files);
· gain unauthorised access, as above, in order to commit a further criminal act (such as fraud); or
· Impair the operation of a computer or program (for example caused by viruses or denial of service attacks).
UK citizens or residents may be extradited to another country if they are suspected of committing any of the above offences.
Malicious Communications Act 1988 (section 1)
This legislation makes it a criminal offence to send an electronic message (email) that conveys indecent, grossly offensive, threatening material or information that is false; or is of an indecent or grossly offensive nature if the purpose was to cause a recipient to suffer distress or anxiety. This can include Racist, Xenophobic and Homophobic comments, messages etc.
Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988
Copyright is the right to prevent others from copying or using his or her “work” without permission.
The material to which copyright may attach (known in the business as “work”) must be the author’s own creation and the result of some skill and judgement. It comes about when an individual expresses an idea in a tangible form. Works such as text, music, sound, film and programs all qualify for copyright protection. The author of the work is usually the copyright owner, but if it was created during the course of employment it belongs to the employer.
It is an infringement of copyright to copy all or a substantial part of anyone’s work without obtaining the author’s permission. Usually a licence associated with the work will allow a user to copy or use it for limited purposes. It is advisable always to read the terms of a licence before you copy or use someone else’s material.
It is also illegal to adapt or use software without a licence or in ways prohibited by the terms of the software licence.
Public Order Act 1986 (sections 17 — 29)
This Act makes it a criminal offence to stir up racial hatred by displaying, publishing or distributing written material which is threatening. Like the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 it also makes the possession of inflammatory material with a view of releasing it a criminal offence.
Obscene Publications Act 1959 and 1964
Publishing an “obscene” article is a criminal offence. Publishing includes electronic transmission.
Protection from Harassment Act 1997
A person must not pursue a course of conduct, which amounts to harassment of another, and which he knows or ought to know amounts to harassment of the other.
A person whose course of conduct causes another to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence will be used against him is guilty of an offence if he knows or ought to know that his course of conduct will cause the other so to fear on each of those occasions.
This also includes incidents of Racism, Xenophobia and Homophobia.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIP) regulates the interception of communications and makes it an offence to intercept or monitor communications without the consent of the parties involved in the communication. The RIP was enacted to comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.
The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000, however, permit a degree of monitoring and record keeping, for example, to ensure communications are relevant to school activity or to investigate or detect unauthorised use of the network. Nevertheless, any monitoring is subject to informed consent, which means steps must have been taken to ensure that everyone who may use the system is informed that communications may be monitored.
Covert monitoring without informing users that surveillance is taking place risks breaching data protection and privacy legislation.
Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
Section 63 offence to possess “extreme pornographic image”
63 (6) must be “grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise obscene”
63 (7) this includes images of “threats to a person life or injury to anus, breasts or genitals, sexual acts with a corpse or animal whether alive or dead” must also be “explicit and realistic”
Penalties can be up to 3 years imprisonment.
Education and Inspections Act 2006
Education and Inspections Act 2006 outlines legal powers for schools which relate to Cyberbullying/Bullying: