Leaving A Positive Digital Footprint

 

At Westmorland, we know the importance of creating a positive digital footprint. We work towards creating a positive image of ourselves and school and model good practice and behaviours to children and parents.

 

Everything we do online builds a digital snapshot of us, whether that is a Facebook post, tweet, comment on a forum or blog or profile linked to another website. Your digital footprint is easily visible when you google your name – are you creating a good impression?

Below are suggestions and guidance to ensure this happens. However this list is not exhaustive.

Photographs

• Photographs taken in school of staff members should only be placed online with the consent of those in the picture.
• Photographs of children may go on the school blog if permission has been given by parents.

(Consent details are kept in Plum Book folders)

• Photographs of children should only be posted online (apart from on the school website/blog blog) with approval of SLT.
• Photographs of children’s work should not allow the child to be identified.

Forums, profiles, social networking sites and the like

As a rule of thumb, remember that posting comments on social networking sites is just like writing on the staffroom wall! It is visible to lots of people and may be hard to get rid of!

Each employee has a responsibility to ensure that they behave in a way that does not bring the school into disrepute within the local community

• Confidentiality must be maintained. At no time should any posts be made that refer to parents, children and other professionals that work within the school setting.
• Online postings, even in an educational context, should not allow individual children to be identified.
• Remember that it is illegal for under 14’s to use specific sites such as Facebook and Twitter so ensure that your friend lists are age appropriate. Because of this, employees should not have current pupils are friends. It is also recommended that employees do not have ex-pupils and current parents as friends.
• Be careful what you are tagged in. Anybody can tag people in images on Facebook!
• Employees should have account profiles set to private. This can usually be done by going to the settings menu and choosing the privacy option.
• Employees are reminded that no information sent over the web it completely secure. Even if you believe yourself to be anonymous or using an alias you may be recognised. Because of this, maintain professionalism, honesty and respect.

 

Above all, remember do use social media and new technology. Use it in innovative ways, but be smart about how you use it and apply security settings appropriately.