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ICT Information Sheet 10
e-Safety and the Revised OFSTED Inspection Schedule from September 2009
Ofsted’s evaluation schedule of judgements for schools inspected under section five of the Education Act 2005, from September 2009 includes a new judgement on “The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures”. Judgements in this area will involve an evaluation of e-safety policies and procedures, including those relating to e.g. cyber-bullying, use of personal communications devices in schools, staff use of ICT for learning, teaching and communication with pupils and the curriculum for teaching e-safety and responsible use of ICTs both in school and beyond.
A copy of this section of the inspection schedule is attached at Annex 1 and has been highlighted to indicate the most relevant aspects.
Schools should take particular note that if the school is judged to be inadequate in this strand of the evaluation schedule its overall effectiveness is likely to be judged to be inadequate. While weaknesses in e-safety policies and practice may not, in themselves, result in a judgement of inadequate they may be a contributing factor.
It should already be obvious that e-safety is a child safety (not an ICT) issue, and should not be managed primarily by the ICT team. It should be an extension of general safeguarding and led by the same people, so that, for instance, cyber bullying is considered alongside real-world bullying.
National guidance suggests that it is essential for schools to take a leading role in e-safety. Becta in its “Safeguarding Children in a Digital World” suggested:
“That schools support parents in understanding the issues and risks associated with children’s use of digital technologies. Furthermore, Becta recommends that all schools have acceptable use policies, and ensure that parents are aware of the procedures for e-safety within the school. Recognising the growing trend for home-school links and extended school activities, Becta recommends that schools take an active role in providing information and guidance for parents on promoting e-safety messages in home use of ICT, too.”
The Byron Review “Safer Children in a Digital World” stressed the role of schools:
“One of the strongest messages I have received during my Review was about the role that schools and other services for children and families have to play in equipping children and their parents to stay safe online. To empower children and raise the skills of parents, I make recommendations to Government in the following areas: delivering e-safety through the curriculum, providing teachers and the wider children’s workforce with the skills and knowledge they need, reaching children and families through Extended Schools and taking steps to ensure that Ofsted holds the system to account on the quality of delivery in this area.”
What will an inspection of e-safety issues look like?
In the development stage of the new evaluation schedule OFSTED conducted a number of trial inspections. These were typically treated as subject inspections and included for example:
- 15 minute interview with the headteacher;
- 1 hour interview with e-safety coordinator & network manager (together);
- Tour of the school with students. Students asked to log onto the system to check what they can/cannot access on the web, and look at content of their areas;
- Interview with several groups of students including a student who enrolled at the school outside of normal start dates;
- Interview with a cross-section of staff;
- Speaking to several different students over lunch;
- *Review of documentation including e-safety policy, linked policies, action plan, AUPs (Acceptable Use Policies), information to parents, governors’ reports, evidence of curriculum related activities, SEF, evidence of e-safety incident management process and linkages with pastoral procedures, evidence of staff training (e.g. presentations and information in ICT handbook).
Typically these trial inspections were more to do with policies and training (specifically focussed on students) and less about the technical infrastructure.
What policies, documentation and evidence of practice are required?
Core documents
- Safeguarding policy - which should contain reference to the e-safety policy, cyber bullying policy, AUPs for pupils and staff, web filtering, the data protection policy and e-safety curriculum etc;
- Staff handbook - which should contain either full copies or summaries of the above policies, appropriate guidance on staff use of personal ICT equipment in school or for school purposes outside school and a summary of the relevant legislation.
Policies in detail
Schools should ensure that the following policies are in place, have been recently updated, approved by governors and shares with staff.
E-Safety policy - this is the overarching policy and should include:
- Roles and responsibilities of governors, headteacher and senior management, e-safety coordinator/officer, network manager and technical support staff, teaching and support staff, Child Protection Officer, e-Safety Committee, students/pupils, parents/carers, community users;
Key policy statements including:
- Education – students/pupils, parents/carers, extended schools
- Education & training – staff
- Training – governors
- Technical – infrastructure/equipment, filtering, monitoring;
- Curriculum
- Use of digital and video images – photographic, video;
- Data protection
- Communications
- Unsuitable/inappropriate activities
- Responding to incidents of misuse.
Other key documents include:
- Student/Pupil Acceptable Use Policy – in versions that should be age appropriate. Suitable examples are available as above;
- Staff (and Volunteer) Acceptable Use Policy;
- Parent/carer Acceptable Use Policy – a summary document to be signed by parents and accompanied by the student/pupil AUP;
- Parent/carer agreement for use of digital and video images;
- School filtering policy. (NB PCC provides web filtering to BECTA standards for the schools WAN);
- School password security policy;
- School personal data handling policy;
A summary of relevant legislation:
- Computer Misuse Act 1990
- Data Protection Act 1998
- Freedom of Information Act 2000
- Communications Act 2003
- Malicious Communications Act 1988
- Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
- Trade marks Act 1994
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
- Telecommunications Act 1994
- Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
- Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
- Protection from Harassment Act 1997
- Protection of Children Act 1978
- Sexual Offences Act 2003
- Public Order Act 1986
- Obscene Publications Act 1959 and 1964
- Human Rights Act 1998
- The Education and Inspections Act 2006.
(The SWGfL template noted earlier contains appropriate summaries of the above and is available as a Word file).
Learning and Teaching
Schools should ensure that appropriate learning and teaching of e-safety and data security issues is in place through a carefully planned curriculum. This will include activities within PSHE and Citizenship as well as in discrete ICT lessons. Whenever ICT based activities of any description are undertaken, regardless of subject, reference should be made to e-safety issues as appropriate.
As a minimum, schools should ensure that:
- The ICT scheme of work includes units covering e-safety, data security, copyright and digital rights management;
- Basic rules for safe use are posted beside each workstation and pupils referred to these on a regular basis;
- The PSHE and Citizenship scheme of work includes units on cyber bullying and improper use of ICTs.
Resources to support the above can be found at:
http://www.teach-ict.com/ks3/year7/esafety/e_safety.htm (Suitable for Y7)
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 (Materials suitable for all age groups available).
http://kenttrustweb.org.uk/CS/community/esafety/archive/2006/10/10/2149.aspx (Lesson plans and resources for KS2 and KS3).
Annex 1 – from OFSTED Inspection Schedule
The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures
Inspectors should evaluate:
- the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements, including links with key agencies, for ensuring the safety of its pupils.
Outline guidance
Inspectors should take into account the extent to which the school:
- has clear policies, strategies and procedures to ensure the safeguarding and welfare of pupils, including those relating to behaviour, bullying, health and safety, harassment and discrimination and meets all required duties
- has established clear management responsibilities in relation to child protection including relevant designated staff
- monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of its policies and practices
- ensures that adults working with pupils are appropriately recruited and vetted
- ensures that adults receive up-to-date, high-quality, appropriate training, guidance, support and supervision to undertake the effective safeguarding of pupils
- encourages and enables pupils to report any concerns or complaints including concerns about poor or abusive practices
- takes reasonable steps to ensure that pupils are safe on the school site, for example by monitoring visitors or volunteers or those using the premises during school time
- identifies concerns about possible abuse and/or neglect and/or pupils who may have gone missing, and refers such concerns promptly to the relevant agencies
- records information relevant to safeguarding concerns clearly and accurately and shares it appropriately, both internally and with other agencies
- helps pupils to keep themselves safe, including encouraging pupils to adopt safe and responsible practices and deal sensibly with risk, for example:
- when handling hazardous equipment and materials
- looking after themselves during outdoor activities
- when attending alternative educational or work-related provision
- using the internet
- if they come into contact with groups that encourage the use of violence.
The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures: grade descriptors
Outstanding (1)
The school is a leader of high-quality practice, ensuring, for example, that its procedures are constantly updated to reflect developing technologies. The school has excellent quality assurance and risk assessment systems which are routinely informed by pupils’ and parents’ views, including those who may have barriers to communication. There is a comprehensive awareness of safeguarding issues among the governors and staff at all levels, all of whom receive regular training on safeguarding, in particular child protection. As a result, a realistic and proportionate approach to safety and safeguarding permeates all aspects of the school’s life. The school’s collaborative working with other key agencies is exemplary.
Good (2)
The school adopts recommended good practice across all areas of its work. The school’s well-developed quality assurance and risk assessment systems take account of the views of pupils and parents. These are acted upon to make effective improvements to the safeguarding systems. Training of all staff, in particular child protection, is of good quality. The school integrates issues about safety and safeguarding into the curriculum so that pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The school is pro-active in building on collaborative working with other key agencies to reduce the risk of harm to pupils.
Satisfactory (3)
All safeguarding regulations and duties are met and arrangements and policies for safeguarding are in line with government requirements and systematically reviewed. All staff have been suitably trained and have the skills and expertise required. The school identifies dangers, fosters a realistic understanding of risk and helps pupils to keep themselves safe. Arrangements for interagency working are effective. The school knows which of its pupils are most at risk and gives priority to safeguarding their welfare, including pupils who are excluded or persistently absent.
Inadequate (4)
- Safeguarding regulations and duties are not met.
or
- Arrangements for safeguarding are not robust and there is no system to maintain and update them, or the systems that are in place are ineffective.
or
- Pupils do not receive sufficient information, or support, to enable them to keep themselves safe.
or
- There is little or unproductive involvement of key agencies.
If the school is judged to be inadequate in this strand of the evaluation schedule, its overall effectiveness is likely to be judged to be inadequate.
Annex 2 – Summary of Useful Websites and Resources
Policy templates may be downloaded from:
http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe/Content/News-Articles/Creating-an-e-safety-policy--Where-do-you-start-
The SWGfL resources also include useful checklists regarding use of communications tools, unsuitable/inappropriate activities and responding to incidents of misuse;
http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/kcn/e-safety_home.cfm Huge range of useful materials and further links.
Copies of these documents and additional checklists regarding responding to incidents of misuse are also available on the PortsmouthcLc – at
http://portsmouthclc.portsmouth.gov.uk – log in and click the e-safety button.
Teaching resources can be found at:
http://www.teach-ict.com/ks3/year7/esafety/e_safety.htm (Suitable for Y7)
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 (Materials suitable for all age groups available).
http://kenttrustweb.org.uk/CS/community/esafety/archive/2006/10/10/2149.aspx (Lesson plans and resources for KS2 and KS3).
Other resources and Guidance
BECTA guidance can be found at: http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=is%20
NEN E-Safety Audit Tool: http://ww.nen.gov.uk/hot_topic (also includes other useful links)
A copy of this document in Word format may be downloaded from here.
Paul Heinrich, ICT Adviser Version 1.0 August 2009
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