Dear Parents,

Internet Use

As you are aware there are issues surrounding the topic of Internet access and ensuring that students are able to use this valuable resource safely.

This document covers the school's current response to these issues.

Home and school computers

Parents need to be aware that there are Internet sites that give both the instructions and the software required to attempt to bypass parental controls set on computers. These either attempt to hide the banned pages by wrapping the URL in random or innocent looking characters or by making the request to a trusted machine which is acting as a proxy. For example, a student could install a proxy on a home computer which is always turned on and connected to the Internet, then request pages that the school would normally ban via that machine. Since the home PC is not on our banned list the page request might be successful. Alternatively a student may go to a web site that attempts to hide the request inside apparently innocuous pages. The school takes this matter very seriously and actively takes measures both physical and electronic to limit this behavior. Our filtering software bans specific pages and sites and additionally weights pages based on their content to ensure the material available from the Internet is as varied and complete as possible whilst being appropriate to the environment.

Internet Safety.

The school computer system provides Internet access to students and staff. Our Responsible Internet Use statement helps protect students, staff and the school by clearly stating what is acceptable use and what is not.

  • Access must only be made via the user's authorised account and password, which must not be given to any other person.
  • School computer and Internet use must be appropriate to the student's education or to staff professional activity.
  • Copyright and intellectual property rights must be respected.
  • Users are responsible for e-mail they send and for contacts made.
  • E-mail should be written carefully and politely. As messages may be forwarded, e-mail is best regarded as public property.
  • Anonymous messages and chain letters must not be sent.
  • The use of public chat rooms is not allowed.
  • The school ICT systems may not be used for private purposes, unless the headteacher has given permission for that use.
  • Use for personal financial gain, gambling, political purposes or advertising is forbidden.
  • The security of ICT systems must not be compromised, whether owned by the school or by other organisations or individuals.
    • Irresponsible use may result in the loss of Internet access.
The school may exercise its right by electronic means to monitor the use of the school's computer systems, including the monitoring of web-sites, the interception of E-mails and the deletion of inappropriate materials in circumstances where it believes unauthorised use of the school s computer system is or may be taking place, or the system is or may be being used for criminal purposes or for storing text or imagery which is unauthorised, unlawful or inappropriate.