The school will exercise its right to monitor the use of computer systems at all times. This will include observing internet use, examining emails and deleting inappropriate materials stored on school equipment. In circumstances where the school believes unauthorised use of the computer systems is, or may be taking place, or systems are, or may be, being used for unlawful purposes, it reserves the right to inform and provide documentary evidence to the appropriate authorities.
1. Computer access may only be made with the user’s own authorised username and password, which must not be revealed to any other person. If you suspect someone has discovered your password to the network or your iPad passcode, you should change it immediately. Keep in mind that strong passwords consist of lower and upper-case letters, numbers and symbols.
2. You should never access another person’s device or storage area, or interfere with other people’s work or files. If you have forgotten your username and/or password, please see a member of the IT Department or email the Tech Support Helpdesk and they will remind you of your details and/or reset your password. You may also inform your tutor or other staff, who will contact the IT Dept. on your behalf.
3. You must never give out any personal information such as your name, home address, phone number or photograph to any unknown person or website without checking with your parents or teacher first. You must NEVER arrange to meet someone unless your parent, carer or teacher has given permission.
4. Email, Network, Internet access and apps are provided as a tool for educational purposes only. All information files remain the property of the School. You are responsible for the content of your workspace and for ensuring nothing unsuitable or inappropriate is stored there. You must inform a member of staff if you receive an email from someone you do not know, which concerns you.
5. The use of blogs and podcasts offer opportunities for you to enhance your learning. Teachers may incorporate email, instant messaging, blogs, podcasts, video sharing, online collaborations, virtual learning environments or other technologies as part of their teaching. However, you must not use instant messaging (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat etc.), chat sites or social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest etc.) at school unless you have received express permission from your teacher. You should never publish specific or detailed private thoughts.
6. You are expected to use the internet safely and responsibly and you are personally responsible for all material that you place in the public domain. Internet access via the School’s systems is monitored and filtered. If you do mistakenly access an inappropriate site, you should close the site and immediately notify a member of staff.
7. The use of anonymous proxies, VPNs and/or 3G/4G dongles to get around content filtering is not allowed under any circumstances. Similarly, the use of peer-to-peer networks to facilitate file sharing/downloading is not allowed.
8. You must NOT take pictures, audio recordings or video footage on any device anywhere on the School’s premises without receiving express permission from a teacher. Any comments, photos, videos, etc. that potentially brings the School into disrepute or are in any way offensive to staff or other pupils will be treated as a serious breach of School discipline and sanctions will be imposed.
9. Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words or ideas as your own. You should give proper credit to all internet sources used in your assignments. This covers all forms of media including graphics, movies, music and text. In addition, you must adhere to all relevant copyright laws and regulations.
10. You should not engage in sending spam or chain-emails and you should follow the guidelines of accepted behaviours within the School Code of Conduct when making, distributing, using or commenting on ICT-based resources. You must not send group emails to an entire group of staff or pupils unless you have received prior permission from a member of staff. Any emails you send should be polite and responsible.
11. In keeping with the School’s “Eco-School” status and to minimise wastage, printing should only be done when necessary. Further, colour printing should be kept to an absolute minimum. Please think before printing. Can the document be shared electronically instead?
12. No personal hardware should be physically attached to the School’s network or equipment without the prior agreement of the IT Support dept, who may request to see the hardware beforehand.
13. You must behave responsibly when using any ICT equipment to ensure that no damage is caused to them.
14. The integrity and security of ICT systems must not be compromised, whether owned by the school or by other organizations or individuals.
15. School iPads should only be used for educational purposes only.
16. Any ringtones, reminders, chimes must be set to silent in lessons.
17. iPads must be brought to school fully-charged and must run off the battery during the day. Any damages or faults must be reported to the E-Learning Department immediately.
18. The use of iPads in lessons and form periods is at the sole discretion of the teacher in charge at the time.
19. Irresponsible use may result in the loss of access to school computer systems.
20. At any time the school may check the files/apps and browser history on a School iPad.
21. The School may at any time request the return of an iPad issued to a pupil.
USING THE IPAD RESPONSIBLY The following Guidelines cover a wide range of potential issues and it is important that all students are aware of them and their personal responsibility to adhere to these guidelines.
Remember your iPad has been issued to you as a learning device and remains the property of Talbot Heath School at all times.
Health
It is important to be aware of the possible risks to health of sitting in uncomfortable positions and staring at the iPad screen for prolonged periods of time.
STUDENTS:
Try to limit the amount of time that you spend using your iPads. Teachers will not be using them in every lesson and not for the whole lesson, however if you have been spending a large amount of time doing your home learning on the iPad then please ensure that you take regular breaks and don’t continue to then play games for hours after that. Please be aware of the guidelines issued on this and do your best to follow them.
Personal Safety
The likelihood of being approached outside of school by someone trying to steal the iPad is slim, but it is important that all students act safely to limit this risk.
STUDENTS:
Ensure that the iPad is kept in your bag when walking to and from school. Follow the usual advice about keeping safe, for example, not walking around alone when it is dark and ensuring that an adult knows where you are. If approached, just hand the iPad over. It is insured and can be tracked. If your work is backed up to iCloud then your work will not be lost.
E-Safety
Many of the E-Safety issues that apply to the use of iPads already exist within the school and have been addressed in our E-Safety Policy. We shall continue to address this issue through the Digital Citizenship programme embedded within PSHE lessons, computing lessons and assemblies, and deal with any incidents that occur.
STUDENTS:
Make yourself aware of the ICT Acceptable Use Policy and ask a member of staff for guidance if it contains any information that you do not understand. A breach of the ICT Acceptable Use Policy may result in sanctions, depending on the severity of the issue.
Please be aware that a member of staff has the right to look at the content stored on your iPad at any time and this will happen as part of random spot checks to ensure that the iPads are being used appropriately.
Apple ID and Password
Pupils must not attempt to sign into their personal Apple account on their school iPad, as this can interfere with school technology policies in place and cause technical issues, as well as potentially breaching the iPad agreement policy. Any pupils found to have done this may be sanctioned.
Privacy
There is a risk that students may be able to pick up an iPad and look at each other’s work, or access private information on a staff iPad.
STUDENTS:
Please ensure that your iPad is locked with a passcode. Each iPad is also labelled on the back with the pupil’s name and Serial Number. Any unauthorised attempt to look at data on a fellow pupil’s iPad or teacher’s iPad will be dealt with very seriously.
Using the Camera
Issues about photographing staff and students are already covered in other policies, however it is important to be aware that some staff and students are not prepared to have their photograph taken and that permission must always be sought first.
Email Etiquette
Email is likely to become a key means of communication between staff and students. It is important that students are aware of the rules regarding this area and do not email inappropriately, or add needlessly to staff workload.
STUDENTS:
Whenever possible avoid using emails to staff. If you are able to go and find that member of staff personally and speak to them directly, this is always preferable.
Any essential emails to staff, such as those sent to hand in work, should always be politely written. Start the email with Sir/Miss or the member of staff’s name and always end with a polite closing (e.g. ‘thank you’) and your name.
Appropriate use in school In lessons
Some teachers will use the iPads in lessons more than others. This is likely to vary dramatically throughout the year as some lessons/topics may be more suited to the use of new technology than others.
STUDENTS:
Your use of the iPad in school is always at the teacher’s discretion. If the teacher hasn’t asked you to use the iPad, then it should be kept out of the way in your school bag. If the teacher feels that you have not been using the iPad responsibly, they will ask you to put it away and issue a suitable sanction. Any ringtones, reminders and alerts etc. must be set to silent whilst at School.
Break/Lunchtimes
We want to encourage students to work collaboratively with their iPad in their own time, however we feel strongly that it is essential that students spend time away from the device and take a break.
STUDENTS:
The iPad should only be used during lessons or, for senior pupils only, in the library at break or lunchtime. Sixth Form pupils may use their iPad in their common rooms. Junior School pupils will only be allowed to use their iPad under teacher supervision.
Use at Home
Teachers may set homework on the iPad and the usual sanctions will occur if this work is not completed. As currently, the use of any technology in the home is under the guidance of parents. During school, teaching will guide students toward appropriate materials. Outside of school, families bear the responsibility for guiding pupils towards appropriate use of the iPad; as they would with other forms of media (such as television, telephones, movies, radio etc.). It is recommended that iPads are not charged overnight in the pupil’s bedroom, but a communal room is used.
Being Prepared
Lessons will be disrupted if students forget their iPad, or have failed to charge it up overnight.
STUDENTS:
The iPad must be brought into school every single day and be sufficiently charged. Failure to do so will result in sanctions being applied in the same way that they are now for missing equipment.
The Case
Your iPad’s case has been carefully chosen by the School. You must not remove the iPad from the case or deface it in any way. Defaced cases will be charged to the bill payer when handing in on leaving the school or when they require replacement.
Storage
School networks and storage will be treated like school lockers. Staff may review files and communications to ensure that users are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect that stored files would always be private. Students should use the app ‘Foldr’ to back up/move required files if the iPad should become low on space.
Faulty iPads
If an iPad develops a fault, it should be brought to the E-Learning Department for examination. If a quick solution is not possible, a temporary replacement will be issued, when available, whilst a repair is organised.
Loss or Damage to iPads and/or Chargers The school will work with parents and students to minimise incidents of loss or damage to iPads, however it is essential that students treat all iPads with care.
If a school iPad becomes damaged and requires repair, it should be returned to the E-Learning Department as soon as possible. Where possible, a replacement device will be loaned to the student until the repair is completed. If the damage is so extensive that economic repair is not viable, the student will be issued with a replacement device, where possible.
Cosmetic wear and tear such as scratches and minor damage to the iPad will not normally be repaired providing that the function of the iPad is not significantly affected.
If an iPad is lost or stolen, parents must inform the school as soon as possible giving details of the incident and, if appropriate, the police will be informed. A police report number for any insurance claim involving a crime will be required. Subject to availability, a replacement iPad will be issued.
Please note that a fee may be charged in the event of a damage incident that requires repair or any loss incident caused by inappropriate use or lack of care. The School reserves the right to not replace an iPad where there has been frequent or unreasonable damage or loss, or charge the bill payer for a replacement.
Pupils will also be issued with 1 x Apple Lightning Cable and 1 x Apple Power Adapter at the time of iPad and case distribution. Cables and Power Adapters are labelled and will also need to be returned when a pupil leaves Talbot Heath. Lost/damaged cables/power adapters will be charged to the bill payer.
Safe Storage of your iPad
In the Senior School, pupils should store their iPad in their locker, which must have a suitable padlock fitted, when in school and the iPad is not required. In the senior school, when the iPad is required in lessons, pupils should transport their iPads in their school bags and ensure that they are not damaged through food/drink spillages, droppages and general misuse. Junior school pupils should store their iPad in their classroom desks when not in use.
Pupils should never leave their iPad in a vulnerable location where it may be damaged or stolen (e.g. outdoors or in public spaces). When transporting iPads between the Junior and Senior schools, pupils should use their school bag. Pupils should avoid carrying their iPads under their arms or in their hand between lessons, or on the way home.
Ownership
iPads will remain the property of Talbot Heath School at all times. If a student leaves the school the iPad must be returned by the end of that same term, otherwise the school fee payer may be charged for a replacement. Late return may result in a charge.
iPad-related charges are as follows
Replacement lightning cable: £15
Power Adapter: £15
iPad Protective Case: £30
iPad: £300
Discretionary charge for late return/Repeat repair due to neglect: £25
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