Question 5: Digital Rights and Responsibilities

DIGITAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Mobile Phones: Acceptable Use Policy

Purpose:

Due to the widespread ownership of mobile phones among young people and students requires that school staff, students, parents and carers take steps to ensure that mobile phones are used responsibly at school. 

This Acceptable Use Policy is designed to ensure that potential issues involving mobile phones can be clearly identified and addressed, ensuring the benefits that mobile phones provide can be enjoyed by our students. The following Acceptable Use Policy for mobile phones provides that school staff, students, parents and carers guidelines and instructions for the appropriate use of mobile phones during school hours. The 

Acceptable Use Policy for mobile phones also applies to students during school trips, residential and extra-curricular activities both on and off school site.
 Students and their parents or carers must read and understand the Acceptable Use Policy as a condition upon which permission is given to bring mobile phones to school.

Rationale:

Challenges are presented when it comes to communication. The school needs to recognises that personal communication through mobile technologies is an accepted part of everyday life but that such technologies need to be used correctly.
Personal safety and security, It is acknowledged that providing a child with a mobile phone gives parents reassurance that they can contact their child if they need to speak to them urgently. 

The school accepts that parents give their children mobile phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal security and safety. There is also increasing concern about children travelling alone on public transport or commuting long distances to school. 

Responsibility:

The decision to provide a mobile phone to their children should be made by parents or carers. It is incumbent upon parents to understand the capabilities of the phone and the potential use/misuse of those capabilities. It is the responsibility of students who bring mobile phones to school to abide by the guidelines outlined in this document.

Parents should be aware if their child takes a mobile phone to school. It is assumed household insurance will provide the required cover in the event of loss or damage. The school cannot accept responsibility for any loss (including theft), damage or costs incurred due to its use. Parents are reminded that in cases of emergency the school office remains a vital and appropriate point of contact and can ensure your child is reached quickly and assisted in any relevant way. Passing on messages through the school office also reduces the likelihood of disrupting lessons.

Acceptable Uses:

Mobile phones should not be used in any manner or place that is disruptive to the normal routine of the school. Students may use their mobile phones in the classroom when express permission has been given by the teacher. The use of personal mobile phones in one lesson for a specific purpose does not mean blanket usage is then acceptable.

Mobile phones should be switched off and kept out of sight during the school day. Exceptions may be permitted only in exceptional circumstances if the parent specifically requests it. Such requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Parents are requested that in cases of emergency they contact the school first so we are aware of any potential issues and may make the necessary arrangements.

Students should protect their phone numbers by only giving them to close friends and keeping a note of who they have given them to. This can help protect the student’s number from falling into the wrong hands and guard against the receipt of insulting, threatening or unpleasant voice, text and picture messages.

Unacceptable Uses:

Mobile phones must not disrupt classroom lessons with ring tones, music or beeping. They should be turned off during the day. Mobile phones should not be used to make calls, send text messages, surf the internet, take photos or use any other application during the school day unless the class teacher has given permission.

Using mobile phones to bully and threaten other students is unacceptable. Cyber bullying will not be tolerated. In some cases it can constitute criminal behaviour. If the use of technology humiliates, embarrasses or causes offence it is unacceptable regardless of whether ‘consent’ was given.

It is forbidden for students to “gang up” on another student and use their mobile phones to take videos and pictures to denigrate and humiliate that student and then send the pictures to other students or upload it to a website for public viewing. This also includes using mobile phones to photograph or film any student, member of staff or visitor without their consent. It is a criminal offence to use a mobile phone to menace, harass or offend another person and almost all calls, text messages and emails can be traced.

Theft or damage:

To reduce the risk of theft during school hours, students who carry mobile phones are advised to keep them well concealed throughout the school day. Students should mark their mobile phone clearly with their names and are advised to register their details with the network provider. It is strongly advised that students use passwords/pin numbers to ensure that unauthorised phone calls cannot be made on their phones. Students must keep their password/pin confidential. Mobile phones and/or passwords may not be shared.

The school accepts no responsibility for students who lose or have their mobile phones stolen while travelling to and from school. Mobile phones that are found in the school will be handed to the school office. The school accepts no responsibility for replacing lost, stolen or damaged
mobile phones.

Inappropriate conduct:

Students with mobile phones may not engage in personal attacks, harass another person, or post private information about another person using social network sites. Students using mobile phones to bully other students will face disciplinary action. Mobile phones are banned from all examinations and controlled assessments. Students are expected to hand phones to invigilators before entering the exam hall. Any student found in possession of a mobile phone during an examination will be dealt with in line with exam board guidelines.

Students must ensure that files stored on their phones do not contain violent, degrading, racist or pornographic images. The transmission of such images is a criminal offence. Similarly, ‘sexting’ – which is the sending of personal imagery – is also a criminal offence.

Sanctions:

Sanctions for infringement of rules:
1 Phone confiscated – parent to collect
2 Phone confiscate – parent to collect plus sanction for repeated refusal to comply

Students who infringe the rules set out in this document could receive serious sanctions, including isolation or exclusion from school. If the phone is being used inappropriately the student must hand it in at the school office when requested to do so by a member of staff. A receipt will be issued.

Failure to heed the rules set out in this document may result in an alleged incident – of a serious nature – being referred to the police for investigation. In such cases, the parent or carer would be notified immediately. In exceptional circumstances when a parent is unable to collect a mobile phone, and where safe guarding issues are present, parents may request that their son be allowed to collect the phone at the end of the school day. These requests must be made to the appropriate Head of Year and full reasons for the request given. The Head of Year will make a decision on such cases. 



REFERENCES:

http://www.ermysteds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Mobile-Phones-Acceptable-Use-Policy.pdf