Parental Consents

Photographs and Video

We need your permission to allow us to use photographs and filmed images of your child in the local media, video, website, social media and displays around school. (Examples are; presenting a cheque to a charity, achievement awards, sporting events or presentation evenings).

 School Visits and Off-Site Activities

We request your consent  to allow your child to take part in school trips and other activities that take place off school premises and to be given first aid or urgent medical treatment during any school trip or activity.

The trips and activities cover by this include;

• All trips (excluding residential) that take place during or after the school day and at weekends.
• Sporting Fixtures
• Off-site provision and events.
• Transport in school approved minibuses, coaches, public transport, taxis and if necessary, in staff vehicles.

It is not legally required for the school to request written parental consent from you for many offsite activities offered by the school – for example, year-group visits to local amenities – as such activities are part of the school’s curriculum and usually take place during the normal school day.

 Emergency Medical Consent

We request your permission for;

• Your child to be given first aid by a trained member of staff during any on-site or off-site activity.
• Your child to receive urgent dental, medical or surgical treatment, including anaesthetics, as my be considered necessary by the medical authorities present, during any on-site of off-site activity.
• A member of school staff to sign on your behalf any medical consent forms, if your child should require emergency treatment and no contacts with Parental Responsibility can be contacted.

Please note: In an medical emergency your child may undergo treatment regardless of whether you have consented or not. The school can consent on behalf  of your child (on the basis of ‘loco parentis’) and Medical professionals can consent on behalf of your child.

 Sex Education Programme

As part of RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) Parents have the right to request that their child be withdrawn from some of all of the sex education delivered as part of statutory RSE.

 Internet Usage

As part of the school’s Computing programme we offer pupils supervised access to the Internet. Before being allowed to use the Internet, all pupils must obtain parental permission and both they and you must sign and return the enclosed form as evidence of your approval and their acceptance of the school rules on this matter.

All access to the Internet is controlled by a comprehensive filter, which restricts access to a vast number of web sites. Whilst our aim for Internet use is to further educational goals and objectives, pupils may find ways to access other materials as well. We believe that the benefits to pupils from access to the Internet, in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration, exceed any disadvantages.

During school, teachers will guide pupils toward appropriate materials whilst discussing issues such as Internet safety, social media and cyber-bullying. 

St. Mary’s reserves the right to monitor a student’s computer activities, internet and e-mail usage.

We would be grateful if you could read the enclosed guidance documents and then complete the permission form that follows.

Student Access to the Internet

St. Mary’s encourages use by pupils of the rich information resources available on the Internet, together with the development of appropriate skills to analyse and evaluate such resources. These skills will be fundamental in the society our pupils will be entering.

On-line services significantly alter the information landscape for schools by opening classrooms to a broader array of resources. In the past, teaching and library materials could usually be carefully chosen. All such materials would be chosen to be consistent with national policies, supporting and enriching the curriculum while taking into account the varied teaching needs, learning styles, abilities and developmental levels of the pupils. Internet access will open classrooms to electronic information resources which have not been selected by teachers as appropriate for use by pupils.

Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens and future employees during the Information age. St. Mary’s expects that staff will begin to investigate possibilities and blend the use of such information as appropriate within the curriculum and that staff will provide guidance and instruction to pupils in the appropriate use of such resources.

Independent pupil Internet usage will only be permitted upon submission of permission and agreement forms by parents of pupils and by pupils themselves. 

Access will be controlled by means of a filtered service which restricts access to undesirable materials.

Access to on-line resources will enable pupils to explore thousands of web pages while exchanging messages with people throughout the world. St. Mary’s believes that the benefits to pupils from access to information resources and increased opportunities for collaboration far exceed the disadvantages.

St. Mary’s staff will prepare appropriate procedures for implementing this policy and for reviewing and evaluating its effect on teaching and learning.

General

Students are responsible for good behaviour on the Internet just as they are in a classroom or a school corridor.

General school rules apply.

The Internet is provided for students to conduct research and communicate with others. Parents’ permission is required.

Remember that access is a privilege, not a right and that access requires responsibility.

Individual users of the Internet are responsible for their behaviour and communications over the network. It is presumed that users will comply with school standards and will honour the agreements they have signed.

Computer storage areas, removable storage and computer usage can be monitored by software installed on the network. Staff may review files and communications to ensure that users are using the system responsibly. Users should not expect that files stored on servers or other medium would always be private.

The following are not permitted:

• Sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures
• Using obscene language
• Harassing, insulting or attacking others
• Damaging computers, computer systems or computer networks
• Installing software
• Violating copyright laws
• Using others' passwords
• Trespassing in others' folders, work or files
• Intentionally wasting limited resources such as disk space or printer inks
• Accessing proxy servers
• Accessing Social Media
• Accessing external email accounts

Notify a member of staff immediately, if by accident, you encounter materials which violate the rules of appropriate use.

Sanctions

1. Violations of the above rules will result in a temporary or permanent ban on Internet and/or Network use.
2. Parents will be informed of the nature of the misuse.
3. Additional disciplinary action may be added in line with existing practice on inappropriate language or behaviour.
4. When applicable, police or local authorities may be involved.

 Cashless Catering Biometrics

Background to the use of biometrics in school

For the sake of clarity, biometric information is information about someone’s physical or behavioural characteristics that can be used to identify them. There are many possible biometrics, including for example, a digital photograph, fingerprint, or hand shapes.  As part of our identity management systems, we will record a biometric measurement taken from a finger, but not a fingerprint image. The information is stored in a highly secure database and will only be used by the school to confirm who is using a range of services.  In future we may use other biometric services where appropriate.

Our chosen solution allows us to use a secure database holding biometric data for use with a range of services.  This means we will store the least amount of data possible.  This reduces the risk of loss of data.

The data that is held cannot be used by any other agency for any other purpose.

The school will not use the biometric information for any purpose other than that stated above. The school will store the biometric information collected securely in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The school will not share this information with anyone else and will not unlawfully disclose it to any other person.

Current Legislation – The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

This legislation requires schools to:

• Inform parents about the use of the biometric systems in the school and explain what applications use biometrics.
• Receive written permission from one parent if the school is to process biometric information for their child.
• Allow children to choose an alternative way of being identified if they wish.

If you do not wish your child to use the biometric system or your child chooses to use an alternative form of identification, we will provide reasonable alternative arrangements that allow them to access current and future services.

When a child leaves the school, or if for some other reason he/she ceases to use the biometric system, his/her biometric data will be permanently deleted.