AUP Policy

Re: Internet Permission Form

As part of the school’s education programme we offer middle and senior classes supervised access to the Internet. This allows students access to a large array of online educational resources that we believe can greatly enhance students’ learning experience.

All Internet sites deemed unsuitable are blocked to safeguard all concerned. As a result it will be virtually impossible for any pupil or adult to surf unsuitable sites accidentally or otherwise.

However, access to and use of the Internet requires responsibility on the part of the user and the school. These responsibilities are outlined in the school’s Acceptable Use Policy (enclosed).

The school respects each family’s right to decide whether or not to allow their children access to the Internet as defined by the school’s Acceptable Use Policy.

Having read the terms of our school’s Acceptable Use Policy, you may like to take a moment to consider how the Internet is used in your home, and see if there is any way you could make it safer for your own family.

In the main only middle and senior pupils will have any limited, supervised access to the Internet.

We have a school website on which we display school activities and school work. Hence the need for each parent/guardian to read and review the enclosed A.U.P. ( Acceptable Use Policy)

Gach rath ar an obair.

___________________________ ___________________________
Seán Ó Murchú ( P.O.) Caoimhín Ó Drisceoil (ICT Co-Ordinator)

School Strategy
The school will employ a number of strategies in order to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet. These strategies are as follows:

General
· Internet sessions will always be supervised by a teacher.
· Filtering systems are in use in order to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material.
· The school will regularly monitor pupils’ Internet usage.
· Uploading and downloading of non-approved software will not be permitted.
· Virus protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis.
· The use of personal flash drives or CD-ROMs in school requires the teachers permission.
· Students will observe good “netiquette” (i.e. etiquette on the Internet) at all times and will not undertake any actions that may bring the school into disrepute.

World Wide Web
· Access to Internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful or otherwise objectionable material is strictly forbidden
· Students will use the Internet for educational purposes only.
· Students will be familiar with copyright issues relating to online learning.
· Students will never disclose or publicise personal information.
· Students 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.
· Students will not be permitted to save any files or work on the computers’ hard drives. This may be done on the teacher’s or the classroom’s external flash drives. This is to protect pupils from accessing each other’s information or schoolwork.

Email
· Students will only use approved email accounts under careful supervision by a teacher and those pupils who have permission shall have their own username and password so that their personal information is secure.
· Students will not send or receive any material that is illegal, obscene, defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.
· Students will not reveal their own or other people’s personal details, such as addresses or telephone numbers or pictures.

Interactive Whiteboards
· Teachers will use the internet on occasion in the classroom as an educational tool.

· The content and sites will be monitored by the class teachers as suitable for the particular class and their educational development.

Internet Chat

· Children will not have access to Internet chat rooms.

Sanctions

Misuse of the Internet may result in disciplinary action, including written warnings, and withdrawal of access privileges.

School Website

· Some pupils may be given the opportunity to publish projects, artwork or school work on the School Website.
· The publication of student work will be co-ordinated by a teacher.
· Pupils’ work will appear in an educational context on Web pages with a copyright symbol prohibiting the copying of such work without express written permission.
· Digital photographs will focus on groups and educational activities rather than on the individual pupil.
· Personal pupil information including home address and contact details will be omitted from school web pages.
· Pupils will continue to own the copyright of any work published.
· If you do not wish to your child to have their work or photograph published please inform the school immediately in writing.

Please review this Internet Acceptable Use Policy, complete the following section and return to the school promptly.

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I have read and understood the school’s internet AUP policy.

I grant permission for ………………………………………’s work or photograph to be used on the school’s website.

Síniú Tuiste/Parental Signature…………………………………………….Date……………