E-Safety - Be Internet Legends

Technology in the 21st  Century is seen as an essential resource to support learning and teaching, as well as playing an important role in the everyday lives of children, young people and adults. Consequently, schools need to build in the use of these technologies in order to arm our young people with the skills to access life-long learning and employment.

Information and Communications Technology covers a wide range of resources including; web- based and mobile learning.  It is also important to recognise the constant and fast paced evolution of ICT within our society as a whole.  Currently the internet technologies children and young people are using both inside and outside of the classroom include:

•        Websites

•        Learning Platforms and Virtual Learning Environments, (Moodle)

•        E-mail and Instant Messaging (AET Mail, Text to Parents)

•        Chat Rooms and Social Networking (Facebook)

•        Blogs and Wikis

•        Podcasting

•        Video Broadcasting

•        Music Downloading

•        Gaming

•        Mobile/ Smart phones with text, video and/ or web functionality

•        Other mobile devices with web functionality

Whilst exciting and beneficial both in and out of the context of education, much ICT, particularly web-based resources, are not consistently policed.  All users need to be aware of the range of risks associated with the use of these Internet technologies.

At Lea Forest, we understand the responsibility to educate our pupils on e-Safety issues; teaching them the appropriate behaviours and critical thinking skills to enable them to remain both safe and legal when using the internet and related technologies, in and beyond the context of the classroom.

Schools hold personal data on learners, staff and other people to help them conduct their day- to-day activities.   Some of this information is sensitive and could be used by another person or criminal organisation to cause harm or distress to an individual. The loss of sensitive information can result in media coverage, and potentially damage the reputation of the school. This can make it more difficult for your school to use technology to benefit learners.

Everybody in the school has a shared responsibility to secure any sensitive information used in their day to day professional duties and even staff not directly involved in data handling should be made aware of the risks and threats and how to minimise them.