saltash.net - Community College

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Internet Use




As part of our curriculum we offer pupils supervised access to the Internet. Before being allowed to use the Internet all pupils must obtain parental permission. This is normally done by signature of the home-school agreement. If this is not signed a separate letter about the Internet is sent home requesting a parental and pupil signature.

Access to the Internet will enable pupils to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and other information sources while exchanging messages with Internet users throughout the world. Families should be warned that some material accessible via the Internet may contain items that are illegal, defamatory, inaccurate or potentially offensive to some people. Our Internet service provider filters very carefully sites which pupils can visit. However they cannot offer a cast iron guarantee that all offensive sites have been blocked due to the nature of the Internet. We can also filter out sites locally when necessary.

Whilst our aim for Internet use is to further educational goals and objectives, pupils may find ways to access other materials as well. We believe that the benefits to pupils from access to the Internet, in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration, exceed any disadvantages. However, ultimately, parents and guardians are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information sources.

At school, teachers will guide pupils toward appropriate materials. Outside school, families bear the same responsibility for such guidance as they exercise with information sources such as television, telephones, movies, radio and other potentially offensive media.

Before any student uses the Internet they must agree to our Acceptable use policy.
Everytime a student opens a blank internet page these guidelines are displayed. In addition they form part of the home-school agreement.

Pupil guidelines for Internet use

•  Email
Do not send, reply to or construct “chain” emails. We define these as emails sent to large numbers of people without authority. They clog up our system and slow it down.

•  General
Pupils are responsible for good behaviour on the Internet just as they are in a classroom or a school corridor. General school rules apply.

The Internet is provided for pupils to conduct research and communicate with others. Parents’ permission is required. Access is a privilege, not a right and requires responsibility.
Individual users of the Internet are responsible for their behaviour and communications over the network. All users must comply with school standards and honour this agreement.
Staff may review files and communications to ensure that users are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect that files or messages stored on school servers or disks would always be private.
The following are not permitted:
1.    Sending, displaying or knowingly accessing offensive material
2.    Using obscene language
3.    Harassing, insulting or attacking others
4.    Damaging computers, computer systems or computer networks (hacking)
5.    Violating copyright laws
6.    Using other pupils’ passwords
7.    Trespassing in others pupils’ folders, work or files
8.    Intentionally wasting limited resources

•  Sanctions
1.    Violations of the above rules may result in a temporary or permanent ban on Internet use.
2.    Additional disciplinary action may be added in line with existing school practice on inappropriate language or behaviour.
3.    When applicable, police or the local authority may be involved.
If cyber bullying involving students takes place outside of school hours then we will take an interest in order to ensure that our students are safe in school but in these cases we do advise parents to contact the appropriate authorities.
It is also very important that parents review their childrens’ use of the Internet. We recommend that you consider installing filtering software and ensuring that your children are safe online.