Acceptable Use Policy |

The aim of this Acceptable Use Policy is to ensure that students will benefit from learning opportunities offered by the school’s digital resources in a safe and effective manner. The responsible use of internet and digital technologies, both online and offline and access is considered an integral part of teaching and learning. Therefore, if the school AUP is not adhered to agreed sanctions will be imposed.

It is envisaged that school and parent representatives will revise the AUP at least annually. Before signing, the AUP should be read carefully to ensure that the conditions of use are accepted and understood.

When using the internet students, parents and staff are expected:

To treat others with respect at all times.
Not undertake any actions that may bring the school into disrepute.
Respect the right to privacy of all other members of the school community.
Respect copyright and acknowledge creators when using online content and resources.

The school employs a number of strategies in order to maximise learning opportunities and reduce risks associated with the Internet. These strategies are as follows:

Filtering software and/or equivalent systems will be used in order to minimise the risk of exposure to inappropriate material.
Uploading and downloading of non-approved software will not be permitted.
The use of personal external digital storage media in school, requires school permission.
Virus protection software will be used and updated on a regular basis.
Internet use within school will always be supervised by a teacher.

Misuse of the internet may result in disciplinary action, including written warnings, withdrawal of access privileges, detention and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion as outlined in our Code of Behaviour. The school also reserves the right to report any illegal activities to the appropriate authorities.

Scoil Cholmcille implements the following strategies on promoting safer use of the internet:

Pupils will be provided with education in the area of internet safety as part of our implementation of the SPHE and other curriculum areas.
Teachers will be provided with continuing professional development opportunities in the area of internet safety.
Scoil Cholmcille participates in Safer Internet Day activities to promote safer more effective use of the internet.

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed annually by the following stakeholders:

Board of Management, Digital Learning Team

The school will monitor the impact of the policy using:

Logs of reported incidents.
Surveys and/or questionnaires of pupils.

Should serious online safety incidents take place, senior management team to be informed

The implementation of this Internet Acceptable Use policy will be monitored by the Digital Learning Team.

Content Filtering

Scoil Cholmcille has chosen to implement the following level on content filtering on the Schools Broadband Network:

Level 6 This is the widest level of content filtering available. This level allows access to millions of websites including games and YouTube and allows access to personal websites category, and other similar types of websites, such as blogs. It allows access to websites belonging to the personal websites category and websites such as Facebook belonging to the Social Networking category.

Students taking steps to by-pass the content filter by using proxy sites or other means may be subject to disciplinary action, including written warnings, withdrawal of access privileges, detention and, in extreme cases, suspension or expulsion.

Internet Use

Students will not intentionally visit internet sites that contain obscene, illegal, hateful or otherwise objectionable materials.

Students will be encouraged to report accidental accessing of inappropriate materials in accordance with school procedures.

Students and staff will be aware that any usage, including distributing or receiving information, school-related or personal, may be monitored for unusual activity, security and/or network management reasons.

Students will use the Internet for educational purposes only.

Students will not engage in online activities such as uploading or downloading large files that result in heavy network traffic which impairs the service for other internet users.

Students will not download or view any material that is illegal, obscene, and defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.

Downloading by students of materials or images not relevant to their studies is in direct breach of the school’s acceptable use policy.

Students should never disclose or publicise personal information or passwords.

Students will be aware that any usage of the internet and school’s digital platform, including distributing or receiving information, school-related or personal, will be monitored.

Email and Messaging

Downloading by students of materials or images not relevant to their studies is not allowed.

The use of personal email accounts is only allowed at Scoil Cholmcille with expressed permission from members of the teaching staff.

Students will use approved school email accounts.
Students should not under any circumstances share their email account login details with other pupils.
Students should not use school email accounts to register for online services such as social networking services, apps, and games.
Students should be aware that email communications are monitored.

Students will not send any material that is illegal, obscene, and defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.

Students should immediately report the receipt of any communication that makes them feel uncomfortable, is offensive, discriminatory, threatening or bullying in nature and must not respond to any such communication.

Students should avoid opening emails that appear suspicious. If in doubt, pupils should ask their teacher before opening emails from unknown senders.

Students will not reveal their own or other people’s personal details, such as addresses or telephone numbers or pictures.

Students will never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they only know through emails or the internet.

Students must only use their school email for school related activities and for registering on school based activities only. The use of personal email addresses is not allowed for school based work.

Students should not use school email accounts to register for online services, social networking, apps or games.

Students should report the receipt of any communication that makes them feel uncomfortable, is offensive, discriminatory, threatening or bullying in nature and must not respond to any such communication. Pupils should report any such communications to a teacher.

All emails and opinions expressed in email are the responsibility of the author and do not reflect the opinion of the school.

Social Media and messaging services for Staff and Students

The internet provides a range of social media tools that allow us to interact and keep in touch. While recognising the benefits of these media for new opportunities for communication, this policy sets out the principles that members of your school community are expected to follow when using social media.

The principles set out in this policy are designed to help ensure that social media is used responsibly so that the confidentiality of pupils and other staff and the reputation of the school is protected.

This policy applies to personal websites such as social networking sites (for example Instagram and TikTok), blogs, mircoblogs such as X, chatrooms, forums, podcasts, open access online encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia, social bookmarking sites such as del.icio.us and content sharing sites such as flickr and YouTube. The internet is a fast moving technology and it is impossible to cover all circumstances or emerging media.

The following statements apply to the use of messaging, blogging and video streaming services by pupils in Scoil Cholmcille :

Use of instant messaging services and apps including Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber, etc. is not allowed in Scoil Cholmcille .

All members of the school community must not use social media, messaging services and the internet in any way to harass, impersonate, insult, abuse or defame others.

Staff and students must not discuss personal information about pupils, staff and other members of the Scoil Cholmcille community on social media.

Staff and students must not use school email addresses for setting up personal social media accounts or to communicate through such media.

Staff and students must not engage in activities involving social media which might bring Scoil Cholmcille into disrepute.

Staff and Students must not represent your personal views as those of Scoil Cholmcille on any social medium.

Students will be provided with guidance on etiquette regarding social media.

Teachers can read further information about the use of Social Media and Electronic Communication here: https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/news-events/latest-news/2021/guidance-for-registered-teachers-about-the-use-of-social-media-and-electronic-communication.html

Personal Devices

The following statements apply to the use of internet-enabled devices such as tablets, gaming devices, smartwatches, in Scoil Cholmcille :

Students are not allowed to bring personal internet-enabled devices into Scoil Cholmcille .

Digital Learning Platforms (including video conferencing)

Students must only use their school email for accessing the school digital learning platform.

All school-related media and data should be stored on the school’s platform.

The use of digital platforms should be used in line with considerations set out in the school’s data protection plan (GDPR).

Each user of the platform will be provided with their own unique login credentials.

Passwords for digital platforms and accounts should not be shared.

Personal email addresses should not be used when creating accounts on school digital platforms.

Prior acceptance from parents should be sought for student usage of the schools’ digital learning platform.

Images and Video

Care should be taken when taking photographic or video images that students are appropriately dressed and are not participating in activities that might bring the individuals or the school into disrepute.

At Scoil Cholmcille students must not take, use, share, publish or distribute images of others without their permission.

Parents or carers must inform the school in writing if they do not wish for photographs of students to be published on the school website.

Students must not share images, videos or other content online with the intention to harm another member of the school community regardless of whether this happens in school or outside.

Inappropriate Activities

Promotion or conduct of illegal acts, e.g. under the child protection, obscenity, computer misuse and fraud legislation
Misuse and fraud legislation
Racist material
Pornography
Promotion of any kind of discrimination
Promotion of racial or religious hatred
Harmful content or threatening behaviour, including promotion of physical violence or mental harm
Any other information which may be offensive to colleagues or breaches the integrity of the ethos of the school or brings the school into disrepute
Using school systems to run a private business
Use systems, applications, websites or other mechanisms that bypass the filtering or other safeguards employed by the school
Uploading, downloading or transmitting commercial software or any copyrighted materials belonging to third parties, without the necessary licensing permissions
Revealing or publicising confidential or proprietary information (e.g. financial / personal information, databases, computer / network access codes and passwords)
Creating or propagating computer viruses or other harmful files
Carrying out sustained or instantaneous high volume network traffic (downloading / uploading files) that causes network congestion and hinders others in their use of the internet
Online gambling
Online shopping
Use of social networking sites, instant messaging and online forums
Child sexual abuse material
Any other activity considered questionable

School Websites

The website will be regularly checked to ensure that there is no content that compromises the safety, privacy, or reputation of students or staff.

Scoil Cholmcille will use only digital photographs, audio or video clips of focusing on group activities. Content focusing on individual students will only be published on the school website with parental permission.

The publication of student work will be coordinated by a teacher.

Personal student information including home address and contact details will not be published on Scoil Cholmcille web pages.

The Scoil Cholmcille will avoid publishing the first name and last name of pupils in video or photograph captions published online.

Cyberbullying

In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Schools, Scoil Cholmcille considers that posting a single harmful message/image/video online which is highly likely to be reposted or shared with others can however be seen as bullying behaviour.

This type of bullying is increasingly common and is continuously evolving. It is bullying carried out through the use of information and communication technologies such as text, social media, e-mail, messaging, apps, gaming sites, chat-rooms and other online technologies. Being the target of inappropriate or hurtful messages is the most common form of online bullying. As cyberbullying uses technology to perpetrate bullying behaviour and does not require face to face contact, cyberbullying can occur at any time (day or night). Many forms of bullying can be facilitated through cyberbullying. For example, a target may be sent homophobic text messages or pictures may be posted with negative comments about a persons sexuality, appearance etc.

Access to technology means that cyberbullying can happen around the clock and the students home may not even be a safe haven from such bullying. Students are increasingly communicating in ways that are often unknown to adults and free from supervision. The nature of these technologies means digital content can be shared and seen by a very wide audience almost instantly and is almost impossible to delete permanently. While cyberbullying often takes place at home and at night, the impact can also be felt in school.

In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Procedures for Schools, Scoil Cholmcille considers that a once-off offensive or hurtful public message, image or statement on a social network site or other public forum where that message, image or statement can be viewed and/or repeated by other people will be regarded as bullying behaviour.

When using the internet students, parents and staff are expected to treat others with respect at all times.

Engaging in online activities with the intention to harm, harass, or embarrass another student or member of staff is an unacceptable and absolutely prohibited behaviour, with serious consequences and sanctions for those involved.

Measures are taken by Scoil Cholmcille to ensure that staff and students are aware that bullying is defined as targeted behaviour, online or offline, that causes harm. The harm caused can be physical, social and/or emotional in nature. Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between two people or groups of people in society. Posting a single harmful message/image/video online which is highly likely to be reposted or shared with others can however be seen as bullying behaviour.

The prevention of cyberbullying is an integral part of the anti-bullying policy of our school.

In accordance with the Department of Education Bí Cinealta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post Primary Schools; Scoil Cholmcille considers that a school is not expected to deal with bullying behaviour that occurs when students are not under the care or responsibility of the school. However, where this bullying behaviour has an impact in school, schools are required to support the students involved. Where the bullying behaviour continues in school, schools should deal with it in accordance with their Bí Cinealta policy.

Artificial Intelligence

Scoil Cholmcille recognises the potential benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education and is committed to its responsible and ethical use within our learning environment.

Scoil Cholmcille integrates AI into its educational processes to enhance learning, foster innovation, and promote the development of critical skills.

AI Generated material is allowed for certain activities with prior school permission.

AI Generated material is allowed for the purpose of research, brainstorming, revising text.

Note: If used for research students must factcheck, check other sources and reference sources.

Learners should attribute AI text and images properly when used in assignments/homework.

AI technologies are integrated into the curriculum to enhance learning and support educational goals. For example; Use AI to generate art, noting the origins of its materials, get students to fact-check essays generated by AI based on their own prompts, incorporate AI-Powered games like Quick Draw or Minecraft.

Important: Before introducing any new app into the classroom, take a look at these important considerations:

https://www.webwise.ie/trending/considerations-for-introducing-a-digital-tool-app-into-the-classroom/

Students will not create, share or send any AI generated material that is illegal, obscene, and defamatory or that is intended to annoy or intimidate another person.

Staff and pupils must not use AI in any way to harass, insult, abuse or defame pupils, their family members, staff, other members of the Scoil Cholmcille community

Staff and pupils must not engage in activities involving AI generated material which might bring Scoil Cholmcille into disrepute.

Scoil Cholmcille provides training and professional development opportunities for teachers to effectively utilise AI tools in their teaching practices, ensuring they stay up to date with technological advancements.

Scoil Cholmcille promotes digital literacy and critical thinking skills to help students understand AI, its implications, and responsible usage. This includes data literacy, verification of AI-generated information, and recognising potential biases in AI tools.

Scoil Cholmcille will make necessary adjustments to our schools adoption and integration of AI based on review and feedback.

Entering personal, sensitive, or confidential data into any AI system without proper authorisation is strictly prohibited. All AI tools authorised for use in Scoil Cholmcille comply with data protection regulations.

Implementation and Communication

This policy was originally ratified on ___________ .

Next Review________________________________

Signed: _______________________________________

Date: _________________________________________

It is available to view on our school website for all parents or other interested parties.