Elmlea Junior School ICT and E-Safety Policy

Aims
To give pupils experience in a wide range of ICT hardware and software.
To enrich and enliven other areas of the curriculum and to support specific learning needs.
To teach children to use relevant technology safely.
To provide children with necessary knowledge and skills to make informed choices about using
technology beyond the classroom and after their time at school.
To encourage pupils to understand and change the world through computational thinking.

Rationale
ICT literacy has become an essential skill for everyday life. Technology is constantly evolving and schools
have to respond to these developments. The key to responding to these changes lies within the education
system. It is the role of the teacher to model and teach ICT skills discretely and across the curriculum.
The children will leave school equipped to meet the demands of the ever-changing technological world.

Purposes
To encourage responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication
technology.
To understand and apply the fundamental principles of computer science, including logic, algorithms,
data representation, and communication.
To be able to reflect and comment on the use of ICT.
To understand the risks involved with using technology and react appropriately.

Guidelines
Teachers and subject co-ordinators are responsible for organising an appropriate, effective ICT
curriculum that is developed reciprocally and informed by current national strategy. Due to the rapidly
changing nature of technology, ICT planning will be subject to frequent reflection and change.
Children will have an opportunity to develop skills in :-
1. Use of hardware eg cameras, recording devices etc
2. Processing and interpreting data
3. Control and programming actvities
4. Searching, organising and presenting data
5. Databases
6. Internet research and other uses
7. Spreadsheet modelling
8. Understanding the role of ICT in society
The school is equipped with an ICT suite and classrooms are equipped with multimedia PCs for staff
and pupil use. There are an additional 60 Netbooks for use in classrooms. Each classroom has an
interactive whiteboard to use as a teaching tool. Other ICT equipment such as cameras, recording
devices and iPads are also available to bring ICT into subjects across the curriculum.
Children will be taught IT skills discretely and alongside other objectives.
Children will use ICT to support, enhance and develop all aspects of the curriculum.
Children will develop ICT skills at an appropriate level regardless of race, gender, intellect, emotional or
physical difficulties.
E-Safety
Elmlea strategies for e-safety are co-ordinated by current ICT co-ordinators (Beth Ansell and Stuart Dyer)
with input from: the e-safety governor (Sarah Ruprecht); the headteacher (Clare Galliers); and ICT
technical staff (Sarah Coleman and RFL technicians). Staff and pupils also provide input via lessons and
staff meetings. E-safety at the school is monitored using logs of reported incidents, BCC monitoring logs of
internet activity and regular staff and pupil surveys.
Pupils will be taught discrete e-safety lessons at least every second term, including at least one extended
series of lessons per year. These lessons will be frequently adapted to reflect changes in technology, and
will concern the use of and sharing of personal information, how to respond in unsafe/unsure situations
and how to report problems and concerns.

Learning via the Internet

The school internet access will be designed expressly for educational use and will include filtering
appropriate to the age of pupils.
Pupils will learn appropriate and safe Internet use and their use of the Internet will be monitored
carefully.
Staff should guide pupils in online activities that will support the learning outcomes planned for the
pupils’ age and maturity.
Pupils will be educated in the effective use of the internet in research by year 6, including the skills of
knowledge location, retrieval and evaluation.
Pupils and staff will sign up to an Acceptable Use Policy for technology and the Internet, which will be
displayed in classrooms and the ICT suite.
Filtering will occur in conjunction with BCC and SWGFL however, if pupils or staff discover unsuitable
material online, they will be trained to report the matter to teacher and then to ICT Resources Co-
ordinator (Sarah Coleman).
By year 6, pupils will be taught to acknowledge the source of information used and to respect copyright
when using internet material in their own work.
Pupils will learn how to communicate safely and appropriately over the internet, in e-safety and PSHE
lessons, however, they will are not allowed to use personal email or social network accounts at school.

Website and blog content management

The point of contact on the website will be the school address, school e-mail and telephone number.
Staff or pupils’ home information will not be published.
Website or blog photographs that include pupils will be selected carefully and inline with the school’s
guidelines on the publication of photographs.
Pupils’ full names will not be used anywhere on the website, particularly in association with
photographs.
Written permission from parents or carers will be obtained before photographs of pupils are published
on the school website or blog.
The headteacher will take overall editorial responsibility and ensure that content is accurate and
appropriate.
The copyright of all material must be held by the school, or be attributed to the owner where permission
to reproduce has been obtained.

Mobile technologies
Appropriate use of mobile phones will be taught to pupils as part of their PSHE/e-safety programme.
Emerging technologies will be examined for educational benefit and the risk assessed before use in
school is allowed.
The impact of sending abusive or inappropriate text messages is explored during ICT and PSHE
lessons.
Parents may seek permission for their children to bring mobile phones into school. In these instances
the phones should be switched off and kept in the child’s school bag whilst on school premises.
 Phones are not to be taken out or used during the school day. On no account are mobile phone still or
video cameras to be used on school premises. Pupils found with unauthorised mobile phones will be
asked to give them to the headteacher.

Parents and E-Safety

A partnership approach with parents will be encouraged. Parents’ attention will be drawn to the e-safety
in newsletters, the school blog and at an annual information evening.
Pupils will be encouraged to share what they have learnt with their parents, particularly methods for
reporting abuse.

School Staff and the E-safety

The school’s Personal Data Handling Policy and Staff and Volunteer ICT Acceptable Use and Laptop
Policies will be made available to all staff including teachers, supply staff, classroom assistants and
support staff.
The school’s consequences for internet and mobile phone/PDA/technology misuse will be clear so that
all teachers are confident to apply this should the situation arise.
All staff must accept the terms of the Staff and Volunteer ICT Acceptable Use and Laptop Policy before
using any internet resource in school.
All pupil data and confidential school information stored on USB drives is to be encrypted.
The monitoring of internet use is a sensitive matter. Staff that operate monitoring procedures should be
supervised by senior management. All staff should be aware that use of the Internet in school is
monitored.
Staff development in safe and responsible internet use and on the school E-Safety Policy will be
provided as required.
The following table shows the permitted use of mobile and Internet technologies in school.
Staff & other Pupils
adults

staff permission
selected staff
certain times

certain times
Allowed with
Not allowed

Not allowed
Allowed for
Allowed at

Allowed at
Allowed

Communication Technologies
Mobile phones may be brought
to school
Use of mobile phones in lessons
Use of mobile phones in social
time
Taking photos on mobile
phones
Use of hand held devices eg
PDAs
Use of personal email addresses
in school, or on school network
Use of school email for personal
emails
Use of chat rooms / facilities
Use of instant messaging
Use of social networking sites
Use of moderated blogs & wikis
Use of unmoderated blogs &
wikis
Allowed
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √
√ √

Responding to Incidents of Misuse and Complaints

If any apparent or actual misuse appears to involve illegal activity ie.

• child sexual abuse images
• adult material which potentially breaches the Obscene Publications Act
• criminally racist material
• other criminal conduct, activity or materials
the head teacher or ICT Resources Co-ordinator will take appropriate action in line with the flow chart
available at http://www.swgfl.org.uk/safety/default.asp and will preserve necessary evidence.
Appendix One: Elmlea Junior School - Wireless Networks Statement

Context

Elmlea Junior School’s ICT strategy is enabled through a wireless network.

Wireless networks support current technologies and provide access to high quality resources over the
Internet, to inform and enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum.

It is essential that our teaching is relevant to our pupils’ experiences. It must therefore respond to, and
prepare pupils for, contemporary developments in technology. Wi-Fi systems are increasingly prominent in
society and to withdraw from using them would force teachers to deliver lessons removed from a realistic
context. This would be a clear risk to pupils’ education. It would jeopardise their digital literacy and reduce
children’s ability to use relevant technologies confidently and safely.

At the same time, the health and safety of our pupils and staff is paramount. It is acknowledged that
research into possible health risks is ongoing in this area, although at the current time it is noted there is
no clear, definitive and accredited evidence to suggest unacceptable risks to health.

The Health Protection Agency’s position in relation to the use of Wi-Fi in schools is as follows:

“On the basis of the published studies and those carried out in-house, the Health Protection
Agency sees no reason why Wi-Fi should not continue to be used in schools and in other places.
However, with any new technology a sensible precautionary approach, as happened with mobile
phones, is to keep the situation under review so that parents and others can have as much
reassurance as possible…”

Therefore, Elmlea Junior School continues to utilise Wi-Fi to support teaching and learning. The school
will monitor and respond to any new balanced advice issued from the World Health Organisation (WHO),
Health Protection Agency (HPA) and Department for Education (DFE). This decision will be reviewed
annually or as any new recommendations from these agencies is released.

The school’s risk assessment regarding the use of wi-fi is based on the current balanced advice, which
recommends the following control measures:
- Use of CE marked installations only (i.e. within prescribed ICNIRP limits)
- Radio terminals are located at a point in the rooms, away from people
- Laptops are used on desks (i.e. not on laps).

This approach is endorsed by the Risk, Resilience and Wellbeing Manager at Bristol City Council – the
school’s “Competent Person.”

This policy has been adopted in May 2012 and is due to be reviewed in May 2013 or earlier if official
advice changes.
Appendix Two: The Following Information is taken from the Health Protection Agency Website
(www.hpa.org.uk)

Wi-Fi is the most popular technology used in wireless local area networks (WLANs). These are networks of
devices and computers where communication occurs through radio waves instead of connecting cables.

Basics
Wi-Fi users can access and share data, applications, internet access or other network resources in the
same way as with wired systems.

Wi-Fi devices must be equipped with antennas that transmit and receive radio waves in order to allow
wireless connections. The devices operate in certain frequency bands near 2.4 and 5 gigahertz (GHz).

People using Wi-Fi, or those in the proximity of Wi-Fi equipment, are exposed to the radio signals it emits
and some of the transmitted energy in the signals is absorbed in their bodies. This webpage sets out the
HPA position regarding such exposure.

General position
There is no consistent evidence to date that exposure to radio signals from Wi-Fi and WLANs adversely
affects the health of the general population. The signals are very low power, typically 0.1 watt (100
milliwatts) in both the computer and the router (access point), and the results so far show exposures are
well within the internationally-accepted guidelines from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Based on current knowledge and experience, radio frequency (RF)
exposures from Wi-Fi are likely to be lower than those from mobile phones. Also, the frequencies used in
Wi-Fi are broadly the same as those from other RF applications such as FM radio, TV and mobile phones.

On the basis of the published studies and those carried out in-house, the HPA sees no reason why Wi-Fi
should not continue to be used in schools and in other places. However with any new technology a
sensible precautionary approach, as happened with mobile phones, is to keep the situation under review
so that parents and others can have as much reassurance as possible. That is why Sir William Stewart,
former chairman of the HPA, stated that it would be timely to carry out further studies as this new
technology is rolled out. Based on this, the HPA announced on 12 October 2007 that it would be carrying
out a systematic programme of research into WLANs and their use, to include measurements of exposures
from Wi-Fi networks, in particular those in schools.

Key points
• There is no consistent evidence to date that exposure to RF signals from Wi-Fi and WLANs
adversely affect the health of the general population.

• The signals from Wi-Fi are very low power, typically 0.1 watt (100 milliwatts), in both the computer
and the mast (or router) and resulting exposures should be well within internationally-accepted
guidelines.

• The frequencies used are broadly the same as those from other RF applications.

• Based on current knowledge, RF exposures from Wi-Fi are likely to be lower than those from mobile
phones.

• On the basis of current scientific information, exposures from Wi-Fi equipment satisfy international
guidelines. There is no consistent evidence of health effects from RF exposures below guideline
levels and no reason why schools and others should not use Wi-Fi equipment.
Summary
On the basis of current evidence, the HPA does not consider there to be a problem with the safety of
WLAN. If an explicit statement that exposures are within the ICNIRP guidelines is required, this would
have to be obtained from the manufacturers; however, it could be argued that this is implicit in the
CE marking.

All equipment that is supplied for use within the schools meet current EU and UK standards.

Wi-Fi - the HPA research project

A systematic programme of research has been undertaken to assess exposures of children from wireless
computer networking equipment used in schools. (16 September 2011)

The duty factor investigation shows that laptops and access points transmit for only small proportions of
the time during typical lessons less than 1% of the time for laptops and less than 12% for access points.
This means that the time-averaged exposure arising from the use of laptops in schools is even lower than
those when laptops were measured under controlled conditions in the laboratory, and the SARs will also
be smaller than those estimated above.

The data gathered during the project continue to reinforce the position adopted by the HPA at the
beginning of the project that exposures are small in relation to the ICNIRP guidelines and less than those
from mobile phones.

The outcome of the project will also be considered by the Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation in its
current health risk review of exposures to radiofrequency fields, which is expected to be completed in
2012.