Internet Policy
Internet Access for Pupils
As part of our school’s ICT programme and government proposals, we offer pupils supervised access to the Internet and provide each class with a group e-mail account. Before the school allows pupils to use the Internet and send e-mails, they must now obtain parental permission. Both they and you must sign and return the enclosed form as evidence of your approval and their acceptance of the rules.
There are great educational benefits of Internet access, which will enable pupils to explore thousands of libraries, databases and interactive educational games. They will also be able to communicate and exchange messages with other learners and teachers throughout the world. Although Internet use is supervised in our school and we have done our utmost to ensure safe access, you need to be aware that some pupils may find ways to access material that is inaccurate, insulting or potentially offensive to some people. We believe that the benefits to pupils’ learning by the Internet, exceeds any of the disadvantages. However, as with any other area of using media and information sources, the school will support and respect each family’s right to decide whether or not to allow such access.
During school, teachers will guide pupils towards appropriate material. At home, parents and guardians bear the same responsibility for guiding their children as they are subjected to other information sources such as television, telephones, text messaging, films, radio and play station games.
Please find enclosed a copy of the Rules for Responsible Internet Use that we operate at Epsom Primary School and if you decided to support your child’s application for access to the Internet, please complete the enclosed form and return it to your child’s class teacher.
Should you which to discuss any aspect of Internet use, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours sincerely
Paul Barnes Miss V Stevens
Head Teacher ICT Coordinator
RULES FOR RESPONSIBLE INTERNET USE
1. Pupils will only be referred to by first names on our web pages.
2. Close-up pictures of our pupils will not be available on-line.
3. Pupils and staff will never reveal their personal details, and home addresses or telephone numbers on the web or in a dialogue with any Internet users.
4. Pupils do not have individual e-mail addresses. The class teacher will check all e-mails to classes and the ICT Coordinator will moderate all incoming and outgoing e-mails.
5. The Search Engines used by pupils in our school; all offer a filtered list of links, closely monitored by our server and provider (RM and FourS), plus the school has also incorporated its own SafeNet Guard. The free use of Search Engines such as Google, Lycos, Ask Jeeves, is not permitted unless in the presence of a teacher or other adult in school.
6. All Internet access at our school is filtered through a proxy server to screen undesirable sites at source – this facility can only be disabled by the ICT Coordinator.
7. Any pupils finding themselves uncomfortable or upset by anything they discover on the Internet will and should report it to a teacher IMMEDIATELY.
8. Downloading files and personal e-mail accounts is restricted to all staff, or pupils under supervision.
9. Pupils will have no access to Newsgroups.
10. In the interest of security, the school reserves the right t o make a detailed log of all sites accessed by pupils and subject to irresponsible use of e-mail and Internet use, the pupil will be denied all ICT access. As a result, the pupil will lack the correct level of skills, knowledge and understanding in particular aspects of the curriculum