Online Safety Policy

Policy details:

• Date created - September 2024
• Date reviewed - July 2025
• Date approved by trust board - 04 July 2024
• Next review date - 04 July 2025
• Policy owner - Emma Soper [Principal]

1. Aims

This policy sets out expectations for all Co-op Academies Trust community members’ online behaviour, attitudes and activities and use of digital technology.

All Co-op Academies aim to:  

• Have robust processes in place to ensure the online safety of students, colleagues, volunteers, and visitors
• Identify and support groups of students that are potentially at greater risk of harm online than others
• Establish clear mechanisms to identify, intervene and escalate an incident, where appropriate
• Deliver an effective approach to online safety, which empowers us to protect and educate the whole academy community in its use of technology, including mobile and smart technology (which we refer to as ‘mobile phones’)

All Co-op Academies adopt an approach to online safety that is based on addressing the following categories of risk:

• Content – being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful content, such as pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, antisemitism, radicalisation and extremism
• Contact – being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users, such as peer-to-peer pressure, commercial advertising and adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit them for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes
• Conduct – personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm, such as making, sending and receiving explicit images (e.g. consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography), sharing other explicit images and online bullying; and
• Commerce – risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and/or financial scams

2. Legislation and guidance

This policy is based on the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, and its advice for colleges on:

• Teaching online safety in colleges
• Preventing and tackling bullying and cyber-bullying: advice for headteachers and college staff
• Relationships and sex education
• Searching, screening and confiscation

It also refers to the DfE’s guidance on protecting children from radicalisation.

It reflects existing legislation, including but not limited to the Education Act 1996 (as amended), the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Equality Act 2010. In addition, it reflects the Education Act 2011, which has given teachers stronger powers to tackle cyber-bullying by, if necessary, searching for and deleting inappropriate images or files on students’ electronic devices where they believe there is a ‘good reason’ to do so.

The policy also takes into account the National Curriculum programmes of study.

This policy complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.

It is designed to sit alongside academies’ statutory Safeguarding and Child Protection policies and Behaviour policies, our Trust’s Colleague Code of Conduct and our Trust’s Data Protection Policy, and Trust Social Media policy.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

Our Trust is a community and all members have a duty to behave respectfully online and offline, to use technology for teaching and learning and to prepare for life after college, and to immediately report any concerns or inappropriate behaviour, to protect staff, students, families and the reputation of the Trust and its academies. We learn together, make honest mistakes together and support each other in a world that is online and offline at the same time.

3.1 Trust Safeguarding Lead

The Trust’s Safeguarding Lead has overall responsibility for monitoring this policy and holding academy leaders to account for its implementation. The Safeguarding Lead will receive regular reports on the implementation of the policy from the Designated Safeguarding Lead via the Regional Safeguarding Leads, and will report on the implementation of this policy to the Trust Board on an annual basis as part of their annual safeguarding report.

The Trust’s Safeguarding Lead will ensure that, where necessary, teaching about safeguarding, including online safety, is adapted for vulnerable children, victims of abuse and some students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is because of the importance of recognising that a ‘one size fits all’ approach may not be appropriate for all children in all situations, and a more personalised or contextualised approach may often be more suitable

3.2 The Headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for implementing the policy, ensuring that:

• All stakeholders understand this policy
• The policy is being implemented consistently throughout the academy
• All colleagues have appropriate online safety training
• Staff understand their expectations, roles and responsibilities around filtering and monitoring
• All staff undergo online safety training, receive regular online safety updates (via email, e-bulletins and staff meetings), as required and at least annually, to ensure they are continually provided with the relevant skills and knowledge to effectively safeguard children
• Children are taught how to keep themselves and others safe, including keeping safe online
• The academy has appropriate filtering and monitoring systems in place on academy devices and academy networks, and will regularly review their effectiveness; this will include reviewing the DfE filtering and monitoring standards, and discussing with IT staff and service providers what needs to be done to support the academy in meeting the standards, which include:

• Identifying and assigning roles and responsibilities to manage filtering and monitoring systems;
• Reviewing filtering and monitoring provisions at least annually;
• Blocking harmful and inappropriate content without unreasonably impacting teaching and learning;
• Having effective monitoring strategies in place that meet their safeguarding needs.

Key responsibilities:

• Liaise with the designated safeguarding lead on all online-safety issues which might arise and receive regular updates on academy issues and broader policy and practice information
• Support safeguarding leads and technical staff as they review protections for students who may be accessing remote learning
• Ensure that, where necessary, teaching about safeguarding, including online safety, is adapted for vulnerable children, victims of abuse and some students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is because of the importance of recognising that a ‘one size fits all’ approach may not be appropriate for all children in all situations, and a more personalised or contextualised approach may often be more suitable
• Take overall responsibility for data management and information security ensuring the academy’s provision follows best practice in information handling; work with the academy’s Data Protection Ambassador, DSL and governors to ensure a UK GDPR-compliant framework for storing data, but helping to ensure that child protection is always put first and data-protection processes support careful and legal sharing of information
• Ensure the academy implements and makes effective use of appropriate IT systems and services including college-safe filtering and monitoring, protected email systems and that all technology including cloud systems are implemented according to child-safety first principles
• Ensure the Trust’s Safeguarding Lead is  updated as needed on the nature and effectiveness of the academy’s arrangements for online safety

3.3 The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Details of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputies are set out in the academy’s child protection and safeguarding policy, as well as relevant job descriptions.

The DSL takes lead responsibility for online safety in the academy, in particular:

• Supporting the headteacher in ensuring that staff understand this policy and that it is being implemented consistently throughout the academy
• Taking the lead on understanding the filtering and monitoring systems and processes in place on academy devices and academy networks
• Managing all online safety issues and incidents in line with the academy’s child protection policy
• Ensuring that online safety incidents of a safeguarding nature are logged on CPOMS and dealt with appropriately
• Ensuring that any incidents of cyberbullying are logged and dealt with appropriately in line with the academy behaviour policy
• Ensure a zero-tolerance, whole college approach to incidents of child on child sexual abuse or sexual harm where this behaviour takes place through the use of technology, in line with Keeping Children Safe Part 5 and the academy behaviour policy
• Work with the HT and IT staff to review protections for students in the home and remote-learning procedures, rules and safeguards
• Updating and delivering (or organising) staff training on online safety
• Providing regular reports on online safety in the academy to the headteacher and/or governing board (i.e. an annual online safety review)
• This list is not intended to be exhaustive

3.4a Central IT Team

Responsible for:

• Putting in place an appropriate level of security protection procedures, including filtering and monitoring systems on academy devices and academy networks, which are reviewed and updated at least annually to assess effectiveness and ensure students are kept safe from potentially harmful and inappropriate content and contact online while at academy, including terrorist and extremist material
• Ensuring that the academy’s IT systems are secure and protected against viruses and malware, and that such safety mechanisms are updated regularly
• Conducting daily, weekly and termly checks to ensure the academy’s IT systems are updated and providing protection for end users.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

3.4b Regional IT Manager/Network Manager/Technician/Apprentice

Responsibilities as listed in the ‘all staff’ section, plus:

• Support and advise on the implementation of the filtering and monitoring software.
• To report online-safety related issues that come to their attention to the DSL and our Trust’s Central IT team
• Keep up to date with our Trust’s Online Safety Policy and technical information in order to effectively carry out their online safety role and to inform and update others as relevant
• Liaise with relevant staff to see how the online-safety curriculum can complement the academy IT system and vice versa, and ensure no conflicts between educational messages and practice.
• Work closely with the designated safeguarding lead academy Data Protection Ambassador  to ensure that academy systems and networks reflect academy policy
• Ensure the above stakeholders understand the consequences of existing services and of any changes to these systems (especially in terms of access to personal and sensitive records / data) and to systems such as YouTube mode, web filtering settings, sharing permissions for files on cloud platforms etc
• Maintain up-to-date documentation of the academy’s online security and technical procedures
• Manage the academy’s systems, networks and devices, according to a strict password policy, with systems in place for detection of misuse and malicious attack, with adequate protection, encryption and backup for data, including disaster recovery plans, and auditable access controls
• Support the HT and DSL team as they review protections for students in the home and remote-learning procedures, rules and safeguards

3.5 All Colleagues and Volunteers

All colleagues, including contractors and agency staff, and volunteers, including members of the academy’s community council are responsible for:

• Understanding that online safety is a core part of safeguarding; as such it is part of everyone’s job
• Maintaining an understanding of this policy
• Implementing this policy consistently
• Agreeing and adhering to the terms on acceptable use of the academy’s ICT systems and the internet (appendix 1), and ensuring that students follow the academy’s terms on acceptable use (appendix 3)
• Knowing that the DSL has oversight of the filtering and monitoring systems and processes, and being aware of how to report any incidents of those systems or processes failing by reporting these directly to the DSL
• Recording online-safety incidents in the same way as any safeguarding incident and report in accordance with academy procedures using CPOMS
• Following the correct procedures by liaising with the IT team if they need to bypass the filtering and monitoring systems for educational purposes
• Working with the DSL to ensure that any online safety incidents are logged and dealt with appropriately in line with this policy
• Ensuring that any incidents of cyber-bullying are dealt with appropriately in line with the academy behaviour policy
• Carefully supervising and guiding students when engaged in learning activities involving online technology and recognise the importance of human monitoring to safeguarding children whilst using devices.
• Responding appropriately to all reports and concerns about sexual violence and/or harassment, both online and offline, and maintaining an attitude of ‘it could happen here’
• Modelling safe, responsible and professional behaviours in their own use of technology. This includes outside the academy hours and site, and on social media, in all aspects upholding the reputation of the academy and of the professional reputation of all colleagues

This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

3.6 Parents and Carers

Parents/carers are expected to:

• Monitor their children’s online activity closely
• Consult with the academy if they have any concerns about their children’s and others’ use of technology
• Ensure their child has read, understood and agreed to the terms on acceptable use of the academy’s ICT systems and internet (appendices 1 and 2)
• Promote positive online safety and model safe, responsible, respectful and positive behaviours in their own use of technology, including on social media: not sharing other’s images or details without permission and refraining from posting negative, threatening or violent comments about others, including the academy staff, volunteers, governors, contractors, students or other parents/carers.
• Encourage children to engage fully and safely in home-learning during any period where this may be required.

Parents/carers can seek further guidance on keeping children safe online from the following organisations and websites:

• What are the issues? – UK Safer Internet Centre
• Hot topics – Childnet
• Parent resource sheet – Childnet

3.7 Visitors and Members of the Community

Key responsibilities:

• Follow any instructions or guidance given in relation to use of academy technology or the internet within the academy
• Report any concerns, no matter how small, to the designated safety lead
• Maintain an awareness of current online safety issues and guidance
• Model safe, responsible and professional behaviours in their own use of technology at the academy and as part of remote teaching or any online communications
• Note that a contractor should never attempt to arrange any meeting, including tutoring sessions, without the full prior knowledge and approval of the academy, and will never do so directly with a student. The same applies to any private/direct communication with a student.

4. Educating students about Online Safety

Students will be taught about online safety as part of the curriculum:

All academies have to teach:

• Relationships education and health education in primary colleges
• Relationships and sex education and health education in secondary colleges

By the end of secondary schools, students will know:

• Their rights, responsibilities and opportunities online, including that the same expectations of behaviour apply in all contexts, including online
• About online risks, including that any material someone provides to another has the potential to be shared online and the difficulty of removing potentially compromising material placed online
• Not to provide material to others that they would not want shared further and not to share personal material that is sent to them
• What to do and where to get support to report material or manage issues online
• The impact of viewing harmful content
• That specifically sexually explicit material (e.g. pornography) presents a distorted picture of sexual behaviours, can damage the way people see themselves in relation to others, and negatively affect how they behave towards sexual partners
• That sharing and viewing indecent images of children (including those created by children) is a criminal offence that carries severe penalties including jail
• How information and data is generated, collected, shared and used online
• How to identify harmful behaviours online (including bullying, abuse or harassment) and how to report, or find support, if they have been affected by those behaviours
• How people can actively communicate and recognise consent from others, including sexual consent, and how and when consent can be withdrawn (in all contexts, including online)

At college we revisit these topics and ensure that students understand them in an age appropriate way, suitable for young adults entering the workforce.

5. Educating Parents/Carers about Online Safety

The academy will periodically raise parents’/carers’ awareness of internet safety (including issues and best practice) in letters or other communications home, and in information via our website. This policy will also be shared with parents/carers.

The academy will let parents/carers know:

• What systems the academy uses to filter and monitor online use
• What their children are being asked to do online, including the sites they will be asked to access and who from the academy (if anyone) their child will be interacting with online

If parents/carers have any queries or concerns in relation to online safety, these should be raised in the first instance with the headteacher and/or the DSL.

Concerns or queries about this policy can be raised with any member of staff or the headteacher.

6. Handling online-safety concerns and incidents

Procedures for dealing with online-safety concerns or incidents will be mostly detailed in the following policies (primarily in the first key document):

• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Behaviour Policy (including academy sanctions)
• PREVENT - Risk Assessment / Policy
• Data Protection Policy, agreements and other documentation (e.g. privacy statement and consent forms for data sharing, image use etc)
• Colleague Code of Conduct

Co-op Academies Trust commits to take all reasonable precautions to ensure online safety, but recognises that incidents will occur both inside the academy and outside the academy (and that incidents outside the academy may continue to impact students when they come into the academy or during extended periods away from the academy). All members of the academy are encouraged to report issues swiftly to allow us to deal with them quickly and sensitively through the academy’s escalation processes.

Any suspected online risk or infringement should be reported to the online safety lead / designated safeguarding lead on the same day – where clearly urgent, it will be made by the end of the lesson.

Any concern/allegation about staff misuse is always referred directly to the Headteacher, unless the concern is about the Headteacher in which case the complaint is referred to the Regional Director and/or Chair of Governors. Where appropriate, the LADO (Local Authority’s Designated Officer) should also be informed. Staff may also use the NSPCC Whistleblowing Helpline.

The academy will actively seek support from other agencies as needed (i.e. the local authority, LGfL, UK Safer Internet Centre’s Professionals’ Online Safety Helpline (POSH), NCA CEOP, Prevent Officer, Police, IWF). We will inform parents/carers of online-safety incidents involving their children, and the Police where staff or students engage in or are subject to behaviour which we consider is particularly disturbing or breaks the law (particular procedures are in place for sexting and upskirting; see section below).

The academy should evaluate whether reporting procedures are adequate for any future closures/lockdowns/isolation etc and make alternative provisions in advance where these might be needed.

Actions where there are concerns about a child:

• Staff should follow their academy Safeguarding and Child Protection policy if they are concerned about the safety of a student at the academy and report their concerns to the DSL using CPOMS.

Sexting - sharing nudes and semi-nudes:

• All academies (regardless of phase) should refer to the updated UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) guidance on sexting - now referred to as Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings to avoid unnecessary criminalisation of children. NB - where one of the parties is over 18, this is no longer sexting but child sexual abuse.
• There is a one-page overview called Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: how to respond to an incident for all staff (not just classroom-based staff) to read, in recognition of the fact that it is mostly someone other than the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) or online safety lead to first become aware of an incident, and it is vital that the correct steps are taken. Colleagues other than the DSL must not attempt to view, share or delete the image or ask anyone else to do so, but to go straight to the DSL.
• The academy DSL will in turn use the full guidance document, Sharing nudes and semi-nudes – advice for educational settings to decide next steps and whether other agencies need to be involved.

1. The incident involves an adult
2. There is reason to believe that a child or young person has been coerced, blackmailed or groomed, or there are concerns about their capacity to consent (for example, owing to special educational needs)
3. What you know about the images or videos suggests the content depicts sexual acts which are unusual for the young person’s developmental stage, or are violent
4. The images involves sexual acts and any student in the images or videos is under 13
5. You have reason to believe a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm owing to the sharing of nudes and semi-nudes, for example, they are presenting as suicidal or self-harming

It is important that everyone understands that whilst sexting is illegal, students/students can come and talk to members of staff if they have made a mistake or had a problem in this area.

The documents referenced above and materials to support teaching about sexting can be found at sexting.lgfl.net 

Upskirting: It is important that everyone understands that upskirting (taking a photo of someone under their clothing, not necessarily a skirt) is now a criminal offence, as highlighted in Keeping Children Safe in Education and that students/students can come and talk to members of staff if they have made a mistake or had a problem in this area.

Bullying: Online bullying should be treated like any other form of bullying and the academy anti-bullying policy should be followed for online bullying, which may also be referred to as cyberbullying, including issues arising from banter.

Materials to support teaching about bullying and useful Department for Education guidance and case studies are at bullying.lgfl.net.

7. Examining Electronic Devices

The headteacher, and any member of staff authorised to do so by the headteacher (including all members of the senior Management Team) can carry out a search and confiscate any electronic device that they have reasonable grounds for suspecting:

• Poses a risk to staff or students, and/or
• Is identified in the academy rules as a banned item for which a search can be carried out, and/or
• Is evidence in relation to an offence

Before a search, if the authorised staff member is satisfied that they have reasonable grounds for suspecting any of the above, they will also:

• Make an assessment of how urgent the search is, and consider the risk to other students and staff. If the search is not urgent, they will seek advice from [the headteacher / DSL / member of SLT or make reference to our internal guidance documents on these situations]
• Explain to the student why they are being searched, how the search will happen, and give them the opportunity to ask questions about it
• Seek the student’s co-operation

Authorised staff members may examine, and in exceptional circumstances erase, any data or files on an electronic device that they have confiscated where they believe there is a ‘good reason’ to do so.

When deciding whether there is a ‘good reason’ to examine data or files on an electronic device, the staff member should reasonably suspect that the device has, or could be used to:

• Cause harm, and/or
• Undermine the safe environment of the academy or disrupt teaching, and/or
• Commit an offence

If inappropriate material is found on the device, the matter will be referred to the DSL / headteacher / other member of the senior leadership team to decide on a suitable response. If there are images, data or files on the device that staff reasonably suspect are likely to put a person at risk, they will first consider the appropriate safeguarding response.

When deciding if there is a good reason to erase data or files from a device, staff members will consider if the material may constitute evidence relating to a suspected offence. In these instances, they will not delete the material, and the device will be handed to the police as soon as reasonably practicable. If the material is not suspected to be evidence in relation to an offence, staff members may delete it if:

• They reasonably suspect that its continued existence is likely to cause harm to any person, and/or
• The student and/or the parent/carer refuses to delete the material themselves

If a staff member suspects a device may contain an indecent image of a child (also known as a nude or semi-nude image), they will:

• Not view the image
• Confiscate the device and report the incident to the DSL (or equivalent) immediately, who will decide what to do next. The DSL will make the decision in line with the DfE’s latest guidance on screening, searching and confiscation and the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) guidance on sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people 

Any searching of students will be carried out in line with:

• The DfE’s latest guidance on searching, screening and confiscation 
• UKCIS guidance on sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people
• Our behaviour policy / searches and confiscation policy

Any complaints about searching for or deleting inappropriate images or files on students’ electronic devices will be dealt with through the academy complaints procedure.

8. Artificial intelligence (AI)

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now widespread and easy to access. Staff, students and parents/carers may be familiar with generative chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Bard.

Co-op Academies Trust recognises that AI has many uses to help students learn, but may also have the potential to be used to bully others. For example, in the form of 'deepfakes', where AI is used to create images, audio or video hoaxes that look real. This includes deepfake pornography: pornographic content created using AI to include someone’s likeness.

Co-op Academies Trust  will treat any use of AI to bully students in line with our anti-bullying and behaviour policy.

Staff should be aware of the risks of using AI tools whilst they are still being developed and should carry out a risk assessment where new AI tools are being used by our trust.

9. Acceptable Use of the Internet in college

All students, parents/carers, staff, volunteers and governors are expected to sign an agreement regarding the acceptable use of the academy’s ICT systems and the internet (samples are available in appendices). Visitors will be expected to read and agree to the academy’s terms on acceptable use if relevant.

Use of the academy’s internet must be for educational purposes only, or for the purpose of fulfilling the duties of an individual’s role.  

We will monitor the websites visited by students, staff, volunteers, governors and visitors (where relevant) to ensure they comply with the above and restrict access through filtering systems where appropriate.

More information is set out in the acceptable use agreements in the appendices.

10. students Using Mobile Devices in college

Individual academies are responsible for setting out and communicating the details of personal device usage e.g. whether or not students / students are able to bring their mobile phones to college and when they are allowed to use them. Academies should follow this guidance when setting their policy Guidance for Mobile phones in colleges.

The academy should consider that students may have access to 3G, 4G and 5G phone networks which may result in students being sexually harassed, bullied and controlled via their mobile and smart technology, share indecent images consensually and non-consensually (via large chat groups) and view and share pornography and other harmful content.

11. Staff Using Work Devices Outside college

Adapt this section to reflect your academy’s approach and make sure it’s in line with your IT and internet acceptable use policy if you have one.

All staff members will take appropriate steps to ensure their devices remain secure. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Keeping the device password-protected – strong passwords are at least 8 characters, with a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. asterisk or currency symbol)
• Ensuring their hard drive is encrypted – this means if the device is lost or stolen, no one can access the files stored on the hard drive by attaching it to a new device
• Making sure the device locks if left inactive for a period of time
• Not sharing the device among family or friends
• Installing/updating anti-virus and anti-spyware software
• Keeping operating systems up to date by always installing the latest updates

Staff members must not use the device in any way that would violate the academy’s terms of acceptable use, as set out in appendix 3.

Work devices must be used solely for work activities.

If staff have any concerns over the security of their device, they must seek advice from their academy IT team or any central IT staff.

12. How the Academy will Respond to Issues of Misuse

Where a student misuses the academy’s ICT systems or internet, we will follow the procedures set out in our policies on behaviour and ICT and internet acceptable use policies. The action taken will depend on the individual circumstances, nature and seriousness of the specific incident, and will be proportionate.

Where a staff member misuses the academy’s ICT systems or the internet, or misuses a personal device where the action constitutes misconduct, the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the staff disciplinary procedures and staff code of conduct. The action taken will depend on the individual circumstances, nature and seriousness of the specific incident.

The academy will consider whether incidents that involve illegal activity or content, or otherwise serious incidents, should be reported to the police. This includes social media incidents.

13. Training

All new staff members will receive training, as part of their induction, on safe internet use and online safeguarding issues, including cyber-bullying and the risks of online radicalisation.

All staff members will receive refresher training at least once each academic year as part of safeguarding training, as well as relevant updates as required (for example through emails, e-bulletins and staff meetings).

By way of this training, all staff will be made aware that:

• Technology is a significant component in many safeguarding and wellbeing issues, and that children are at risk of online abuse
• Children can abuse their peers online through:

• Abusive, threatening, harassing and misogynistic messages
• Non-consensual sharing of indecent nude and semi-nude images and/or videos, especially around chat groups
• Sharing of abusive images and pornography, to those who don’t want to receive such content

• Physical abuse, sexual violence and initiation/hazing type violence can all contain an online element  

Training will also help staff:

• Develop better awareness to assist in spotting the signs and symptoms of online abuse
• Develop the ability to ensure students can recognise dangers and risks in online activity and can weigh up the risks
• Develop the ability to influence students to make the healthiest long-term choices and keep them safe from harm in the short term  

The DSL and any deputies will undertake child protection and safeguarding training regularly. They will also update their knowledge and skills on the subject of online safety at regular intervals, and at least annually.

Governors will receive training on safe internet use and online safeguarding issues as part of their safeguarding training.

Volunteers will receive appropriate training and updates, if applicable.

More information about safeguarding training is set out in our child protection and safeguarding policy.

14. Monitoring and Filtering Arrangements

Keeping Children Safe in Education obliges colleges to “ensure appropriate filters and appropriate monitoring systems are in place [and] not be able to access harmful or inappropriate material [but at the same time] be careful that “over blocking” does not lead to unreasonable restrictions as to what children can be taught with regards to online teaching and safeguarding.”

Our Trust is moving to a central broadband provider (LGfL). This means we have a dedicated and secure, college safe connection that is protected with firewalls and multiple layers of security, including a web filtering system called WebScreen, which is made specifically to protect children in colleges. This provision is reviewed at least annually.

There are three types of appropriate monitoring identified by the Safer Internet Centre. These are:

1. Physical monitoring (adult supervision in the classroom, at all times)
2. Internet and web access
3. Active/Pro-active technology monitoring services

Adult supervision is expected whenever students are using devices in an academy setting, and parents/carers are responsible for supervising their children when they are online at home. student devices are monitored by OnGuard, which alerts the DSL of each college with any safeguarding concerns. Trust safeguarding leads and DSLs test the effectiveness of this system on a regular basis.

Appendix 1 - Acceptable Use Agreement (Staff, Governors, Volunteers and Visitors)

Appendix 2 - Online Safety Training Needs - Self Audit for Staff

Adapt this form to suit your needs.

Appendix 3 - Student Acceptable use Agreement

Extract from Student Agreement 2024/25

4.0 Use of Technology and Social Media  - The Acceptable Use of IT Agreement

4.1 I will not take any videos or still images of members of the college or assist others to do so without consent.

4.2 I will not record any videos or still images on the college premises unless instructed to do so as part of my learning.

4.3 I understand that I must use College IT systems in a responsible way, to ensure that there is no risk to my safety or to the safety and security of the IT systems and other users.

For my own personal safety and that of others:

• I understand that the College will monitor my use of the IT systems, email and other digital communications.
• I will treat my username and password with care and never share my password with anyone
• I will be aware of “stranger danger”, when I am communicating on-line.
• I will not disclose or share personal information about myself or others when on-line.
• I will immediately report any unpleasant or inappropriate material or messages or anything that makes me feel uncomfortable when I see it on-line.  
• I will not open emails from suspicious addresses or download attachments for unknown sources

4.4 I understand that everyone has equal rights to use technology as a resource and:

• I understand that the College IT systems are primarily intended for educational use
• I will not make large downloads or uploads that might take up internet capacity and prevent other users from being able to carry out their work.
• I will not use the College IT systems for on-line gaming, and or on-line gambling, internet shopping, Proxy Avoidance, file sharing, or video broadcasting (e.g. YouTube)

4.5 I will act with respect and trust.

• I will respect others’ work and property and will not access, copy, remove or otherwise alter any other user’s files, without the owner’s knowledge and permission.
• I will be polite and responsible when I communicate with others, I will not use strong, aggressive or inappropriate language and I appreciate that others may have different opinions.

4.6 I recognise that the College has a responsibility to maintain the security and integrity of the technology it offers me and to ensure the smooth running of the College:

• I will only use my personal hand held / external devices (mobile phones / USB devices etc) in College if I have permission. I understand that, if I do use my own devices in College, I will follow the rules set out in this agreement, in the same way as if I was using College equipment.
• I understand the risks and will not try to upload, download or access any materials which are illegal or inappropriate or may cause harm or distress to others, nor will I try to use any programmes or software that might allow me to bypass the filtering / security systems in place to prevent access to such materials.
• I will immediately report any damage or faults involving equipment or software, however this may have happened.
• I will not open any attachments to emails, unless I know and trust the person / organisation who sent the email, due to the risk of the attachment containing viruses or other harmful programmes.
• I will not install or attempt to install programmes of any type on a machine, or store programmes on a computer, nor will I try to alter computer settings.
• I will only use chat and social networking sites outside lesson and study periods.

4.7 When using the internet for research or recreation, I recognise that:

• I should ensure that I have permission to use the original work of others in my own work.
• Where work is protected by copyright, I will not try to download copies (including music and videos).
• When I am using the internet to find information, I should take care to check that the information that I access is accurate, as I understand that the work of others may not be truthful and may be a deliberate attempt to mislead me.
• I will follow the guidelines set out in my course handbook about the use of AI as part of my studies and within any pieces of work that I produce. I understand that failure to do so may lead to disqualification from my course and the loss of my place at the college.

4.8 I understand that I am responsible for my actions, both in and out of College:

• I understand that the College also has the right to take action against me if I am involved in incidents of inappropriate behaviour, that are covered in this agreement, when I am out of College and where they involve my membership of the College community (examples would be cyber-bullying, use of images or personal information).
• I understand that if I fail to comply with this Acceptable Use Policy Agreement, I will be subject to disciplinary action.  This may include contact with parents/carers, loss of access to the College network / internet, suspension or in extreme cases the withdrawal of your place at college and, in the event of illegal activities, involvement of the police.
  

4.9 At Connell Co-op College, we respect people's identity and do not tolerate discriminatory behaviour and derogatory language whether in public spheres or seemingly private spheres including the following types of discriminatory behaviour:  sexual orientation, religious discrimination, national origin, gender, gender identity or disability.  Students who engage in such behaviour risk suspension or in serious or repeated cases, the withdrawal of their place in the college. Expectations of student are as follows:

• Social media video posts - students are not permitted to record staff / students / college life on their phones within the College site and post this on any form of social media whether public or private. Students will risk their place in the College should they do so.
• Abusive social media texts and images - any abusive or discriminatory content in any form of social media risks students losing their place in the sixth form. This includes private social media posts which then become public.
• Bringing the College into disrepute - behaviour outside College that potentially damages the reputation of the College (or its members) may result in a student losing their place in the College. This includes private social media posts which subsequently become public.
• Reporting and supporting investigations - students are expected to report inappropriate conduct by others that presents a risk of harm to the reputation or wellbeing of themselves or another and to support the College with any investigations by showing an investigating member of staff social media posts as requested.

Appendix 4 - Chromebook Loan Agreement

When a student loans a Chromebook they complete an additional agreement, as do their parents.