NOTE: Anyone who does not agree to abide by the Academy ICT Code of Conduct MUST NOT log on to the ICT Systems
Introduction
The purpose of this Code of Practice is not to restrict the general openness experienced in a creative institution, but merely to safeguard certain essential activities of the Academy. The Academy aims to provide users with a safe, reliable and resilient computing environment but in order to achieve this; certain protocols must be set in place. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct is a breach of the Academy Rules and could therefore lead to the withdrawal of ICT privileges or exclusion from School (fixed term or permanently) in accordance with the Academy’s Disciplinary Policy, depending on the seriousness of the breach. Be aware that pupil’s misuse of ICT outside of school (details below) can also attract disciplinary action by the Academy depending on the circumstances.
General Use of ICT
Always check all ICT equipment for damage before using it. Report any problems or vandalism to your tutor straight away or contact ICT Support via their email address . Do not attempt to fix or repair any equipment yourself. Please be aware that food or drink is not permitted in any room which contains ICT equipment. Each member of St. George’s Academy will be supplied with a unique username and password which must be kept safe at all times.
- Do not tell anyone your password.
- Never allow anyone to use your account.
- Change your password at regular intervals (approx. once a month).
Each individual is held responsible for any activity performed under his or her account.
All workstation access must be supervised by a member of staff and users should not log in unless granted permission to do so. ICT systems are provided for educational purposes only and not to be used as a form of personal entertainment (unless specifically used as part of a supervised club provided by the Academy). Please be aware that computer access is monitored, logged, and centrally stored in compliance with Data Protection laws. Computers can also be remotely connected to by members of staff in order to support you in your work.
Each user is provided with a secure electronic drive to store their educational data. These areas are not to be used as personal storage, contain copyright protected material or non-educational information (including anything which could be deemed inappropriate, illegal or offensive). St. George’s Academy reserve the right to remove any data which breeches these conditions. Teaching staff have ‘read only’ access to these areas in order to review and mark work. All data is backed up on a daily basis, so if any files are accidently deleted, please contact ICT Support straight away.
When working on the system, always save your work on regular occasions. Do not work directly to a pen drive (or other such external device) as these are prone to corruption and are not backed up. Ensure that you have closed down all programs and windows before logging off. Users are requested to only ever log off the computers and not shut them down (since this can slow down access and will be done remotely at the end of each day).
Always check work thoroughly and ask permission from your supervising member of staff before pressing print. Always user File > Print and not the print icon to ensure that you have selected the correct printer. If your page(s) do not come out straight away, please wait as it may be in a queue. If nothing appears, check for error messages on the printer and report it to ICT Support.
Digital cameras or camcorders are often supplied to make permanent records of coursework. These devices must only be used for educational purposes and not for taking random images of friends or inanimate objects. Please check each image before copying them to the network and delete any which are not relevant to your studies. Personal photos can only be introduced to the network when they are to be used within projects but the Academy network is not to be used a means of personal storage. The Academy hold the right to remove any images or footage deemed non-educational or inappropriate. Please remember that it is an offence to record images or videos of other students or members of staff without their prior permission.
Specialist software is provided on each computer to aid you in your education. Do not attempt to alter the settings within this software unless advised to do so by a member of staff. Do not attempt to copy or remove the software. Do not attempt to install or run your own software. Additional software can only be installed by a member of ICT Support when official licenses have first been obtained.
Rules of Email Usage
Email has been granted for Academy work only (e.g. communication with members of staff or external businesses in order to provide additional assistance with your coursework). Use of any alternate web based service (email or instant messaging) is not permitted through the Academy network. Access outside of Academy hours can be achieved via the Academy website www.st-georges-academy.org but the same terms and conditions apply. Inappropriate use of this service will not be tolerated and may result in a removal of privileges. Electronic mail is not to be used for bullying, plagiarism, general chat, spreading of spam / comedic files or text, transfer of illegal / copyright files, viruses or data harmful to the network, rude or offensive material of any sort.
Students are expected to use the email facilities responsibly, and must not provide personal details regarding themselves (e.g. address or telephone details, bank account details, or photographs). Students should not open any emails, especially when they contain attachments, if they do not recognise or trust the sender. Such emails should be deleted straight away. Pupils must always inform a member of staff in matters of bullying, harassment, or any other inappropriate correspondence. The Academy has a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to any form of bullying (verbal, physical or electronic). In addition, the Academy provides their own Anti-Bullying Helpline on (01529) 301199 or email help@st-georges-academy.org. Whether you are reporting an incident or being bullied yourself, we want to hear from you. All cases will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.
Rules of Internet Conduct
Internet access is provided for educational purposes only and not as a means of personal entertainment. Watching movies, listening to music or playing online games is not permitted unless it forms a part of your curriculum requirements. Students should always use the internet responsibly and must follow the guidelines provided. Never enter personal details into a website (e.g. address or telephone details, bank account details, or upload photographs). Never arrange to meet people you have only met online. Never use abusive, rude or offensive language. If you find a site which you believe is unnecessarily blocked, please email the exact link to ICT Support support@st-georges-academy.org why it is required.
Internet access is filtered to safeguard the users from inappropriate material or code which could cause harm to the Academy network infrastructure. All sites visited are logged and centrally stored in accordance with Data Protection laws. Websites which are known to contain illegal files, abusive or offensive material are blocked. In order to comply with Child Protection guidelines, other non-educational sites are also restricted. These include web based email, online forums, instant messaging and social media sites (commonly known as Web 2.0). It is an offence to attempt to bypass the internet security as this can leave the network and data on the servers exposed and vulnerable.
It is important to remember the Academy has a ‘duty of care’ to all students that extends beyond the Academy walls. Any form of cyber-bullying or defamatory comments made online against the Academy, whether through social media, forums or email can lead to the withdrawal of ICT privileges or even exclusion. The Academy has a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to all forms of bullying (whether on or offline).
Use of External Drives
USB devices can be used as a means to transport coursework to and from home, or as a means to backup personal work. However, it is important to understand that any device which is attached to a computer, instantly becomes part of the network. Therefore you must ensure that your device has been scanned for viruses prior to plugging it in, and that your device only contains educational work. The Academy runs security software which monitors any device attached to the network and any data which is considered inappropriate or potentially harmful may be removed without prior warning. In order to avoid the need for these devices, the Academy provides external access to network resources (including home drives and software applications) via a link on its website www.st-georges-academy.org.
The Academy cannot be held responsible for any electronic devices (e.g. laptop, tablets, etc) which a user brings in from home. Anyone doing so does this at their own risk and must follow these simply rules:
- Check that your device is covered for damage under your (or your families) home insurance.
- Ensure that the device is fully charged. No equipment can be plugged into any mains sockets unless they have been officially PATS tested by the Academy. Even then only members of staff are allowed to do this in accordance with the Academy Health & Safety policies.
- Devices should only be used as a tool to provide additional educational resources and not simply for entertainment purposes. Anyone caught using a device for anything outside of education, or using the device to cause disruption, will have their equipment confiscated until the end of the day.
- Do not attempt to connect any device to the Academy network (whether this be hard wired or wireless). Gaining unlawful entry to a network is a criminal offence under the Computers Misuse Act of 1990 and can result in imprisonment. Student access is available for personal devices, but your device will need taking to ICT Support for authorisation.
- Devices with cameras attached must be used responsibly. It is an offence to record images of other students or members of staff without their prior permission.
Academy policies state that pupils do not bring mobile phones onto site as they are not covered by the Academy insurance and are often involved in cases of bullying. However, the Academy also recognises that parents, or carers, may give students mobile devices as a means of communication or personal safety for before and after school. Therefore, these devices must be securely locked away in lockers during the day. Any devices found on students will be confiscated until the end of the day.
Academy Statement
Access to the Academy ICT facilities is a privilege and not a right. Our administrators can track all activity on the network through the use of specialist software which is installed to safeguard users, monitor for inappropriate behaviour and ensure that network security is not compromised. Activity is logged and securely stored in accordance with Data Protection law, and can be referred back to as necessary. Each user is responsible for all acts performed under their login and appropriate action will be taken to those who do not comply with Academy policies. If you believe your network security has been compromised in any way, you must inform a member of staff right away.
St. George’s Academy complies with the Protection of Children Act, Data Protection Act, Human Rights Act, and general Copyright law. The network is also governed by ‘The Computer Misuse Act’ and failure to adhere to this act may result in legal action and in extreme cases can lead to imprisonment.
The Computer Misuse Act, 1990 *
The Computer Misuse Act 1990 came into force on 29 August 1990 and specifies offences for attacks against computer systems or data. It provides protection for systems and data, attempting to maintain their confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The Act provides for three distinct offences:
Section 1 - Unauthorised access to computer material
It is an offence to cause a computer to perform any function with intent to secure unauthorised access to any program or data held in any computer (section 1a). It is necessary to prove that the access secured is unauthorised (section 1b), and the suspect knew that this was the case (section 1c).
This offence is commonly referred to as ‘hacking’ or ‘cracking’. It covers entering a computer system without permission having guessed or discovered another individual’s password, or having obtained it through the use of software tools.
Under section 17(2) of the Act access is gained to any program or data in a computer, if by causing a computer to perform any function the program or data: is altered or erased; copied or moved to any storage medium other than that in which it is held; is used; or is output from the computer in which it is held. The offence is punishable on conviction by a term of imprisonment up to six months.
Section 2 - Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of further offences
This offence is committed where a section 1 offence has been committed, with the intention of committing a further offence (any offence which may be punished by a term of imprisonment of five years or more) or facilitating the commission of a further offence. Even if it is not possible to prove the intent to commit the further offence the section 1 offence is still committed. The offence is punishable on conviction by a term of imprisonment up to five years.
Section 3 - Unauthorised modification of computer material
Where a person does any act that causes the unauthorised modification of the contents of any computer a section 3 offence is committed. There must have been the intent to cause the modification and knowledge that the modification has not been authorised. The offence does not have to be preceded by a section 1 offence. This offence covers the introduction of harmful worms and viruses to a system, and denial of service attacks. The offence is punishable on summary conviction for a term not exceeding five years.
Under section 17(7) of the Act a modification takes place if by the operation of any function of any computer any program or data held in the computer is altered or erased, or is added to its contents. Any act which contributes towards causing a modification shall be regarded as causing it. Under section 17(8) a modification is unauthorised if the person is not entitled to determine whether the modification should be made, or he does not have consent to make the modification from any person who is so entitled.
* please note that this is only a summary and the full act can be read here
