E-safety background
The rapid growth and success of online learning has opened wonderful new opportunities for learning and creativity, but it also means schools need to think ahead of potential new risks to the students in their care.
Creating a safe ICT learning environment for schools has four important elements:
- an infrastructure of whole-site awareness, responsibilities, policies and procedures
- an effective range of technological tools
- a comprehensive e-safety education programme for everyone in the establishment
- a review process which continually monitors the effectiveness of the above.
Most schools have recognised that e-safety is a child safety, not a technology issue, and have adopted a whole-establishment approach towards responsibility for e-safety.
E-safety is clearly an aspect of general safeguarding, and it would not be sensible to separate the management of cyber bullying from real-world bullying, for example. However many schools staff also feel that whilst the duty of care towards young people may be easy to define in the real world, the virtual world presents more challenges, not least because of the rapid range of change and opportunities on offer. Schools recognise that they need support from those with ICT expertise and greater familiarity with online working.
This section of the Register aims to offer support to schools seeking help with their e-safety strategy. It offers pointers to key partners and resources, case-studies addressing specific aspects of e-safety, and some example documents used by schools as part of their approach to the development and implementation of acceptable use policies.
