Internet Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

Contents

1. Introduction
2. General Approach
3. Content Filtering
4. Web Browsing and Downloading
5. Email and Messaging
6. Social Media
7. Personal Devices
8. Images & Video
9. Cyberbullying
10. School Websites
11. Seesaw
12. Zoom

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 If the school AUP is not adhered to this privilege may be withdrawn and appropriate sanctions will be imposed.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 Audoen’s NS .

It also applies to members of staff, volunteers, parents, carers and others who access the internet in St Audoen’s 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 Audoen’s 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 Audoen’s will, where known, inform parents/carers of incidents of inappropriate online behaviour that take place out of school and impose the appropriate sanctions.

St Audoen’s 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 and CSPE curriculum.
  • Internet safety advice and support opportiunities are provided to pupils and parents in St Audoen’s NS through ouside agencies such as CyberSafeIreland.
  • Teachers will be provided with continuing professional development opportunities in the area of internet safety.
  • St Audoen’s NS participates in Safer Internet Day activities to promote safer more effective use of the internet.

 

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

The school will monitor the impact of the policy using:

  • Logs of reported incidents.
  • Surveys and/or questionnaires of pupils, parents, and teaching staff.

Should serious online safety incidents take place Ms Meagher should be informed.

The implementation of this Internet Acceptable Use policy will be monitored by the Digital Learning Team.

Content Filtering

St Audoen’s 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 will report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials in school but outside the classroom to the principal, deputy princpal and class teacher.

Pupils and staff will not copy information from the internet without acknowledging the creator and referencing the source of the content.

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 by students is not allowed at St Audoen’s NS.
Pupils should not under any circumstances share their email account login details with other pupils.
Pupils should not use school email accounts to register for online services such as social networking services, apps, and games.
Pupils will use approved class email accounts only under supervision by or permission from a teacher.
Pupils should be aware that email communications are monitored.

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

Pupils will not use of school email accounts or personal emails.

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 Audoen’s NS :

Use of instant messaging services and apps including Snapchat, Whats Apps, G Chat etc. is not permeitted in  St Audoen’s NS .
Use of blogs such as Word Press, Tumblr etc. is not allowed in  St Audoen’s without 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 Audoen’s NS community

Staff and pupils must not discuss personal information about pupils, staff and other members of the St Audoen’s 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 Audoen’s NS into disrepute.

Staff and pupils must not represent their personal views as those being of St Audoen’s 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 Audoen’s NS:

Pupils are not allowed to use personal internet-enabled devices in school; however, in certain circumstances exceptions can be made. In this regard devices which are brought into school must be left with reception in the morning and then collected at home 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 Audoen’s 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.

Photographs of pupils published on the school website will only use their first name.

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 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 school hours.

Isolated or once-off incidents of intentional negative behaviour, including a once-off offensive or hurtful text message or other private messaging, do not fall within the definition of bullying and will be dealt with, as appropriate, in accordance with the school’s Code of Behaviour.

The prevention of cyber bullying is an integral part of the Anti-Bullying Policy of our school.

School Websites

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.

Webpages allowing comments or user-generated content will be pre-moderated and checked frequently to ensure that they do not contain any inappropriate or offensive content.

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

St Audoen’s NS will use only digital photographs, audio or video clips of focusing on group activities. Content focusing on individual students will only be published on the school website with parental permission.

Personal student information including home address and contact details will not be published on St Audoen’s NS web pages.

The school will avoid publishing the last name of pupils in video or photograph captions published online.

Seesaw

Seesaw allows students use creative tools to take pictures, draw, record videos and more to capture learning in a portfolio. Teachers find or create activities to share with students and can use seesaw to distribute and assess work they complete.

To help facilitate remote learning teachers will use Seesaw to communicate with students. Seesaw will only be used once parents have given their consent to the school.

 

Gsuite

St Audoen’s is a Gsuite school as such we use a host of apps to incorporate blended and hybrid learning in the school including Google Classroom and Google Meet when necessary. For more information please refer to our Distance Learning Policy.