Policies: Acceptable Use

Withernsea Junior School

Pupil Acceptable Use Policy

Withernsea Junior School is providing pupils access to the school's electronic network. This network includes Internet access, computer services, videoconferencing, computer equipment and related equipment for educational purposes. The purpose of this network is to assist in preparing pupils for success in life and work in the 21st century by providing them with electronic access to a wide range of information and the ability to communicate with people throughout the world. This document contains the rules and procedures for pupils' acceptable use of the Withernsea Junior School electronic network.

The Withernsea Junior School electronic network has been established for a limited educational purpose. The term "educational purpose" includes classroom activities, career development, and limited high-quality self-discovery activities.
The Withernsea Junior School electronic network has not been established as a public access service or a public forum. Withernsea Junior School has the right to place reasonable restrictions on material that is accessed or posted throughout the network.
Parent/guardian permission is required for all pupils under the age of 18. Access is a privilege — not a right.
It is presumed that pupils will honor this agreement they and their parent/guardian have signed. The school is not responsible for the actions of pupils who violate them beyond the clarification of standards outlined in this policy. Action will be taken to prevent pupils who abuse the network from using it.
The school reserves the right to monitor all activity on this electronic network. Pupils will indemnify the school for any damage that is caused by pupils' inappropriate use of the network.
Pupils are expected to follow the same rules, good manners and common sense guidelines that are used with other daily school activities as well as the law in the use of the Withernsea Junior School electronic network.

General Unacceptable Behavior

While utilizing any portion of the Withernsea Junior School electronic network, unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to, the following:

Pupils will not post information that, if acted upon, could cause damage or danger of disruption.
Pupils will not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
Pupils will not harass another person. Harassment is persistently acting in a manner that distresses or annoys another person. If a pupil is told by a person to stop sending messages, they must stop.
Pupils will not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.
Pupils will not use speech that is inappropriate in an educational setting or violates school rules.
Pupils will not abuse network resources such as sending chain letters or "spamming.
Pupils will not display, access or send offensive messages or pictures.
Pupils will not use the Withernsea Junior School electronic network for commercial purposes. Pupils will not offer, provide, or purchase products or services through this network.

· Pupils will not attempt to access non-instructional school systems, such as pupil information systems or business systems.

· Pupils will not use of any wired or wireless network (including third party internet service providers) with equipment brought from home. Example: The use of a home computer on the network or accessing the internet from any device not owned by the school.

· Pupils will not use school equipment, network, or credentials to threaten staff or eachother, or cause a disruption to the educational program.

· Pupils will not use the school equipment, network, or credentials to send or post electronic messages that are abusive, obscene, threatening, harassing, damaging to another's reputation, or illegal.

E-Mail (Note: Schools should monitor pupil E-mail and are ultimately responsible for those users activity.)

E-mail for pupils in the Primary school will only be provided through a teacher or classroom e-mail account.
Pupils will not establish or access Web-based e-mail accounts on commercial services through the school network unless such accounts have been approved for use by the individual school.
Pupils will not repost a message that was sent to them privately without the permission of the person who sent them the message.

· Pupils will not post private information about another person or themselves unless with prior permission

World Wide Web

· Primary School Level - Access to information for pupils on the Web will generally be provided through prescreened sites and in a manner prescribed by their school, and closely supervised by a teacher

Telnet and FTP (Note: Telnet and FTP are typically not given to pupils)

· Telnet and FTP services will be available to pupils. However, all aspects of this policy are applicable to material accessed or downloaded.

Message Board/Usenet Groups (Note: Usenet access is not typically given to pupils)

· The school will provide access to selected newsgroups that relate to subjects appropriate for educational use. Messages posted locally that are in violation of this policy will be removed. The school reserves the right to immediately terminate an account of a pupil who misuses the message boards or Usenet groups.

Real-time, Interactive Communication Areas (Note: Chat rooms are normally blocked)

· Pupils may use chat or instant messaging, but only under the direct supervision of a teacher or in a moderated environment that has been established to support educational activities and has been approved by the school or individual school.

Web Sites

Primary School Level - Group pictures without identification of individual pupils are permitted. Pupil work may be posted with either pupil first name only or other school-developed identifier (such as an alias or number).
Material placed on pupil Web pages are expected to meet academic standards of proper spelling, grammar and accuracy of information.
Material (graphics, text, sound, etc.) that is the ownership of someone other than the pupil may not be used on Web sites unless formal permission has been obtained.

· All pupil Web pages should have a link back to the home page of the classroom, school or school, as appropriate.

Personal Safety

Primary School pupils will not share personal contact information about themselves or other people. Personal contact information includes address, telephone, school address, or work address.
Pupils will not agree to meet with someone they have met online.

· Pupils will promptly disclose to a teacher or other school employee any message received that is inappropriate or makes the pupil feel uncomfortable

System Security

Pupils are responsible for their individual accounts and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use them. Under no conditions should pupils provide their password to another person.
Pupils must immediately notify a teacher or the system administrator if they have identified a possible security problem. Pupils should not go looking for security problems, because this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.
Pupils will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Withernsea Junior School electronic network. This includes attempting to log in through another person's account or access another person's folders, work, or files. These actions are illegal, even if only for the purposes of "browsing".

· Pupils will not make deliberate attempts to disrupt the computer system or destroy data by spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal.

· Users will not attempt to access Web sites blocked by school policy, including the use of proxy services, software, or Web sites.

· Users will not use sniffing or remote access technology to monitor the network or other user's activity.

Software and Files

Software is available to pupils to be used as an educational resource. No pupil may install, upload or download software without permission from the Information technology department.
A pupil's account may be limited or terminated if a pupil intentionally misuses software on any school-owned equipment.

· Files stored on the network are treated in the same manner as other school storage areas, such as lockers. Routine maintenance and monitoring of the Withernsea Junior School electronic network may lead to discovery that a pupil has violated this policy or the law. Pupils should not expect that files stored on school servers are private.

Technology Hardware

· Hardware and peripherals are provided as tools for pupil use for educational purposes. Pupils are not permitted to relocate hardware (except for portable devices), install peripherals or modify settings to equipment without the consent of the school technology department.

Vandalism

· Any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data, the network, other network components connected to the network backbone, hardware or software will result in cancellation of network privileges. Disciplinary measures in compliance with the school's discipline code and policies will be enforced.

Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement

Pupils will not plagiarize works found on the Internet. Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were the pupils'.
School policies on copyright will govern the use of material accessed and used through the school system.

· Copyrighted material will not be placed on any system without the author's permission. Permission may be specified in the document, on the system or must be obtained directly from the author.

Videoconference

Videoconferencing is a way that pupils can communicate with other pupils, speakers, museums, etc. from other parts of the country and the world. With videoconferencing equipment, pupils can see, hear, and speak with other pupils, speakers, museum personnel, etc. in real-time.
Videoconference sessions may be videotaped by school personnel or by a participating school involved in the exchange in order to share the experience within ours or their building or school.

· Pupils' voices, physical presence, and participation in the videoconference are transmitted to participating sites during each session. Rules and procedures relative to acceptable use and behavior by pupils apply during all videoconference sessions.

Pupil Rights

Pupils' right to free speech applies to communication on the Internet. The Withernsea Junior School electronic network is considered a limited forum, similar to the school newspaper, and therefore the school may restrict a pupil's speech for valid educational reasons. The school will not restrict a pupil's speech on the basis of a disagreement with the opinions that are being expressed.

· An individual search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that a pupil has violated this policy or the law. The investigation will be reasonable and related to the suspected violation.

Due Process

Disciplinary actions will be tailored to meet specific concerns related to the violation and to assist the pupil in gaining the self-discipline necessary to behave appropriately on an electronic network. Violations of the acceptable use regulation and policy may result in a loss of access as well as other disciplinary action.

· If the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of other school rules, it will be handled in a manner described in the school rules. Additional restrictions may be placed on a pupil's use of his/her network account.

Limitation of Liability

The school makes no guarantee that the functions or the services provided by or through the school network will be error-free or without defect. The school will not be responsible for any damage suffered, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service.

· The school is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the network. The school will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the network.

Violations of this Acceptable Use Policy

Violations of this policy may result in loss of access as well as other disciplinary or legal action. Pupils' violation of this policy shall be subject to the consequences as indicated within this policy as well as other appropriate discipline, which includes but is not limited to:

§ Use of school network only under direct supervision

§ Suspension of network privileges

§ Revocation of network privileges

§ Suspension of computer privileges

§ Suspension from school

§ Expulsion from school

The particular consequences for violations of this policy shall be determined by the school administrators. The school or designee shall determine when school expulsion by the authorities is the appropriate course of action.