TERRACEROADPRIMARY SCHOOL

TerraceRoadPrimary School

Information Communication Technology Policy

TerraceRoadPrimary School

ICT Policy

Introduction

Children are the focus of everything we do at TerraceRoadPrimary School. The Wordle below demonstrates that they are the main focus of this policy document:

This policy document sets out the school’s aims, principles and strategies for the delivery of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This policy was developed in the summer term 2009 by the ICT Co-ordinator. It was formally adopted by all staff and governors. All teaching students and new staff members will be requested to read and adhere to the policy as they commence work in the school. This policy will be reviewed at regular intervals and updated as necessary by the ICT Co-ordinator. This policy is also available for parents on request. This policy is applicable to all that work within the school and any visiting guests who may use our ICT equipment. Any violation of the policy may lead to disciplinary action or even criminal prosecution.

The Significance of ICT

As well as being an important curriculum requirement, the ability to use IT effectively is a vital life skill.

We interpret the term Information Communication Technology to include the use of any equipment, which allows users to communicate or manipulate information electronically.

TerraceRoadSchool’s ICT Aims

As a school we recognise that we are educating children of the future, for the future and therefore we have a responsibility to ensure that we equip them with the skills that will help them learn more independently and become more responsible citizens. We believe ICT and the role it plays in teaching and learning is the key to achieving this. It is our aim, by providing our pupils with quality ICT opportunities that the skills they acquire will have a positive impact on lifelong learning.

The overall aim is to produce learners who are confident and effective users of Information Communication Technology and to ensure that teachers and pupils alike develop confidence and competence to use Information Communication Technology to facilitate effective teaching and learning. Pupils and teachers should be given opportunities to:

  • Use ICT with purpose and enjoyment
  • Develop their ICT capability
  • Become autonomous users
  • Evaluate the benefits of ICT and its impact on society
  • Become familiar with the everyday uses of ICT and understand the way in which it is used and abused in society
  • Increase their independence, to use and develop their interests and abilities more effectively, regardless of special educational needs or disabilities.
  • Meet the requirements of the Skills curriculum as fully as possible and achieve the highest possible standards of achievement
  • Celebrate success in the use of ICT.

TerraceRoadSchool’s ICT Vision

ICT MUST BE FUN

(Vision statement devised and adopted by

TerraceRoadPrimary School pupils, staff and governors)

This statement, we would immediately acknowledge, is not exactly visionary! It was a theme though that came out of discussions with our children, staff and governors and one which we felt we could use to represent something that ICT ought to be about. Therefore each of the letters stands for something more:

I – Information

C – Communication

T – Technology

M – Monitored

U – Useable

S – Safe

T – Training

B – Bilingual

E – Educational

F – Future

U – Uniting

N - Networks

As a Primary School we felt it was crucial that our ICT vision statement could be understood and remembered by even the youngest children – and yet it could be used to mean something more powerful for all concerned with it.

The first three letters are self explanatory in the context of ICT

Monitored

The school has the facility to monitor all computer activity on the network and all users are made aware of this informally and via a visual statement displayed upon logging in. Monitoring use in this way is to ensure the safe and responsible use of computers networked in the school. It is the responsibility of each staff member to instruct pupils in the safety procedures as instructed within this policy.

Monitoring of the curriculum is carried out by the Head Teacher and the IT Co-ordinator, in the following ways:

  • Informal discussion with staff and pupils
  • Observation of ICT displays
  • Collection of pupils’ ICT work
  • Classroom observation

Acceptable Use of ICT and theInternet

When the Internet is being used, then the School’s Policy will always be strictly adhered to.

Terrace Road trusts staff to use the ICT facilities sensibly, professionally, lawfully and consistently with their duties, with respect for their colleagues, for those in their care and in accordance with this policy.

Any inappropriate use of the ICT systems under this policy by any user may lead to disciplinary action being taken. Pupils consistently choosing not to comply with the expectations of this policy will be warned and subsequently may be denied access to Internet resources and parents will be notified.

All users MUST NOT:

  • Transmit, retrieve, or store any communication of a discriminatory or harassing nature or materials that are offensive, obscene, violent, pornographic or sexually explicit
  • Use or transmit abusive, profane or offensive language on or through Terrace Road internet, e-mail or messaging systems
  • Seek to gain access to restricted areas of the network
  • Knowingly seek to access data that is confidential unless authorised to do so.
  • Introduce or, attempt to introduce any form of computer virus
  • Carry out any other hacking activities

Usually the resources used by pupils are carefully chosen by the teacher. Use of the Internet, by its nature, will provide access to information which has not been selected by the teacher. We only allow pupils to access the Internet when there is a responsible adult present to supervise. However, it is unrealistic to suppose that the teacher’s attention will always be directed toward the computer screen. If unsuitable material is accidentally accessed by any user they must disconnect from that site immediately and inform the relevant personnel be it teacher, ICT Co-ordinator, ICT Technician or Headteacher. No action will be taken for any genuine accidental access of such material.

Pupils are instructed on the safe use of the Internet and other electronic devices e.g. chat room, mobile phone use etc. They are made aware that no personal information such as phone numbers and addresses should be given out and that no arrangements to meet someone are made unless permission has been sought from a responsible adult.

Terrace Road will use the ‘filtered’ Internet service and firewalls provided through the LEA, which will minimise the chances of pupils encountering undesirable material. We also have the facility within the school to block any inappropriate sites that are brought to our attention.

Data Protection Act
Schools, local education authorities and the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS-the government department which deals with education) all hold information on pupils in order to run the education system, and in doing so have to follow the Data Protection Act 1998. Since 1st March 2000, the Data Protection Act has given individuals the right to see certain information relating to themselves which is held in hard copy format (e.g. paper files) as well as electronically. This means, among other things that the data held about pupils must only be used for specific purposes allowed by law. When it is no longer necessary to retain data, data is deleted safely and responsibly.
Below we explain the types of data held, why that data is held, and to whom it may be passed on. Details of how to obtain access to the personal data held are given at the bottom of this page.
The school holds information on pupils in order to support their teaching and learning, to monitor and report on their progress, to provide appropriate pastoral care, and to assess how well the school as a whole is doing. This information includes contact details, National Curriculum assessment results, attendance information, characteristics such as ethnic group, special educational needs and any relevant medical information.
From time to time we are required to pass on some of this data to the Local Education Authority (LEA), to another school to which the pupil is transferring, to the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS), and to other educational agencies.
The Local Education Authority uses information about pupils to carry out specific functions for which it is responsible, such as the assessment of any special educational needs the pupil may have. It also uses the information to derive statistics to inform decisions on (for example) the funding of schools, and to assess the performance of schools and set targets for them. The statistics are used in such a way that individual pupils cannot be identified from them.
The Department for Children’s Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills uses information about pupils to compile statistics on trends and patterns in levels of achievement. The information is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the National Curriculum and the associated assessment arrangements, to evaluate and develop education policy and to monitor the performance of the education service as a whole and to ensure that these are continually improved. The statistics are used in such a way that individual pupils cannot be identified from them.
On occasions, information may be shared with other Government departments or agencies strictly for statistical or research purposes only.
Access to personal data
Pupils, as data subjects, have certain rights under the Data Protection Act, including a general right of access to personal data held on them, with parents exercising this right on their behalf if they are too young to do so themselves. If you wish to access the personal data held about your child, then please contact the relevant organisation in writing:
  • The Headteacher , TerraceRoadPrimary School, Terrace Road, Swansea, SA1 6BJ
  • the LEA's Data Protection Officer
    at Education Department, County Hall, Oystermouth RoadSwansea, SA1 3SN
  • the DCELLS Data Protection Officer
    WelshAssemblyGovernment
    CathaysPark
    Cardiff
    CF10 3NQ Phone: 0845 010 3300 (bilingual greeting) or new.wales.gov.uk

Useable

The rationale behind ICT being useable is the idea that we should ensure we provide appropriate resources for all age groups and that we should provide provision where possible for children unable to access computers at home.

As a Primary school we need to cater for the needs of children from the Nursery through to Year 6. Their needs are extremely diverse. Each year it is our intention, in evaluating the impact that ICT has had on learning and teaching, to ensure that we have resources the match the needs of our learners. They need to be up to date and user friendly. ICT is by nature an ever developing subject – at Terrace Road we believe it has the potential to have a major impact on learning and therefore we will continue to invest in it and ensure we have the best possible resources to meet our children’s needs.

The school is located in a mixed catchment area. Some of our parents are unable to afford computers or more specifically broadband in their homes. We are committed to supporting those children and all pupils, regardless of race, gender, culture or disability to give them the opportunities to develop their ICT capability. The school will promote equal opportunities for computer usage and fairness of distribution of ICT resources. Children with a computer at home are encouraged to use it for educational benefit and to share their experiences in school. Further to this we shall commit to running lunch time clubs for ICT in order to ensure that specifically disadvantaged children have the informal environment to practise and build upon their ICT skills.

In Terrace Road school we believe that our children with Special Educational Needsor children with English and an Additional Languagecan benefit from using ICT as it enhances access to the curriculum, and this in turn encourages motivation and the development of skills.

ICT resources in the school will reflect the needs of all our students and the IT co-ordinator will work with the Special Needs Co-ordinator to develop ICT resources to support the needs of specific children in the school.

Safe

Much of what we would consider to be safe practice is covered under the heading of Monitoring.

We believe it is important that it is given a heading in its own right in the policy document because the children all indentified it as being of paramount importance in the subject of ICT. Children recognise that e-safety is a fundamental skill in today’s technological world. At Terrace Road we recognise that e-safety is not about teaching children about dangerous e-content because the content will change tomorrow. Rather we see it as crucial to a child’s development that they are taught e-safety skills that will keep them as safe as possible when using technology.

As a school we have signed up to the LEAs Service Level Agreement which has been designed to keep children as safe as possible through the monitoring of specific content going onto school machines and firewalls that guard against possible unsafe material from internet sites. For further information regarding our Internet policies please see the Terrace Road Primary School Internet Policy document.

Training

ICT has a major training implication year on year as technology continues to advance in ways which are often unpredictable. It is our policy to train our staff that they in turn may teach our children ICT skills that they can apply throughout their learning.

Training will take place formally through INSET days, ADDS sessions, lunchtime workshops at various points within an academic year. Informally training will continue on an almost daily basis through the full-time ICT technician employed in the school and the ICT co-ordinator. Further to this ICT training will be administered by subject specific coordinators where they have an expertise in a particular piece of software or hardware or web based content that would be beneficial to the rest of the teaching and / or non-teaching team.

Bilingualism

At TerraceRoadSchool we aim to promote bilingualism through ICT. We aim to encourage the children to communicate effectively in English, Welsh and in their home language at a level appropriate to their age and ability.

ICT is incorporated in the planning of each subject scheme of work and is the responsibility of individual subject co-ordinators along with the support of ICT staff to develop this within their own subject.

When planning lessons involving the use of ICT, teachers identify activities in which the emphasis is on both the development of ICT skills and the subject being supported.

Educational

Delivery of ICT in the National Curriculum

Information Technology can be divided into three main areas:

  • Create and Communicate Information
  • Find and Analyse Information
  • Media

For further information on the teaching of these areas please see the TerraceRoadPrimary School ICT Scheme of Work.

Curriculum Management

The ICT Co-ordinator with support ICT staff will ensure that resources are distributed and effectively timetabled when appropriate and facilitate the use of Information Communication Technology in the following ways:

  • By updating the Policy and Scheme of Work
  • Identifying with the Headteacher and other members of staff the need to update resources
  • By co-ordinating and/or providing INSET
  • To keep staff abreast of new developments
  • By providing support to enable staff to develop their pupils’ capability
  • Monitoring the ICT curriculum

Key Skills in ICT

Thinking

  • Learner will plan their activities identifying appropriate software and hardware
  • Consider the needs of their audience for the development of presentations
  • Use ICT to explore and solve problems in range of contexts and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of their solutions

Communication

  • Learners communicate and present in a variety of ways, including text, graphs, pictures and sound, to support their activities in a range of contexts
  • read information from a wide range of ICT and non-ICT sources and discuss their workwith their peers, teachers and others
  • use ICT to interpret and analyse information and communicate their findings in ways suitable for their intended audience and purpose.

Find and analyse information; learners:

  • discuss and purpose of their tasks, the intended audiences qand the resources needed
  • produce and use databases to ask and answer questions, e.g. search, sort and graph.

Create and communicate information; learners:

  • create and communicate information in the form of text, images and sound, using a range of ICT hardware and software
  • create a range of presentations combining a variety of information and media, e.g. a poster combining text and graphics, a multimedia presentation
  • share and exchange information safely through electronic means, e.g. use of e=mail, virtual learning environments.

ICT

  • use ICT individually and collaboratively, depending on the nature and context of the task in hand