The computers are provided and maintained for the benefit of all staff and students at StreetVibes (SV), and you are encouraged to use and enjoy these resources, and help to ensure they remain available to all. You are responsible for good behaviour with the resources and on the Internet when you are in a classroom.

Equipment

• Always get permission before installing, attempting to install or storing programs of any type on the computers.
• Damaging, disabling, or otherwise harming the operation of computers, or intentionally wasting resources puts your work at risk, and will cut short your time with the ICT equipment and can lead to your work being deleted or corrupted.
• Only use the computers for the intended purposes, as a source of information or as required by your education or job.
• Always check files brought in on removable media (such as DVDs, CDs, flash drives etc.) with antivirus software and only use them if they are found to be clean of viruses, if they are flagged as containing malicious software contact IT support before continuing using them.
• Protect the computers from spillages by eating or drinking well away from the IT equipment.
• Don’t rearrange how equipment is plugged in without first contacting IT support.

Security and Privacy

• Protect your work by keeping your password to yourself; never use someone else’s logon name or password.
• Always get permission before revealing your home address, telephone number, school name, or picture to people you meet on the Internet.
• Other computer users should be respected and should not be harassed, harmed, offended or insulted.
• To protect yourself and the systems, you should respect the security on the computers; attempting to bypass or alter the settings may put you or your work at risk.
• Do not leave your computer unattended while still logged on, SVs cannot take responsibility for any misuse that may occur while you’re away.

Internet

• You should access the Internet only for study or for school authorised/supervised activities.
• Only access suitable material – Using the Internet to obtain, download, send, print, display or otherwise transmit or gain access to materials which are unlawful, obscene or abusive is not permitted, prohibited sites will be blocked.
• Respect the work and ownership rights of people outside the school, as well as other students or staff. This includes abiding by copyright laws.
• Facebook and personal emails should be avoided during class, YouTube may be used as a source of information to further aid your work, not for leisure, staff may ask you to cease an activity they deem disruptive, continued disruptive behaviour due to certain internet sites may result in them being blocked.
• Attempts to circumnavigate blocked site access can result in Internet privileges being revoked and access only permitted under supervision by a member of staff.

Email

• Be polite and appreciate that other users might have different views from your own. The use of strong language, swearing or aggressive behaviour is as anti-social on the Internet as it is on the street.
• Only open attachments to emails if they come from someone you already know and trust. Attachments can contain viruses or other programs that could destroy all the files and software on your computer.
• If you receive an email containing material of a violent, dangerous, racist, or inappropriate content, always report such messages to a member of staff. The sending or receiving of an email containing content likely to be unsuitable for children or schools is strictly forbidden.
• When publishing or transmitting information externally be aware that you are representing SVs and could be seen as speaking on SVs behalf. Make it clear when opinions are personal.

Miscellaneous

• Keep master copies of important data on the server and do not depend on your computers local storage, student computers are wiped clean on a regular basis and anything not properly backed up cannot be restored.
• Be considerate about storing personal files on the servers.
• Use of computers and internet for leisure or personal purposes is permitted so long as such use does not incur specific expenditure for SVs, impact on your performance of your job or studies, break the law or bring SVs into disrepute.

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This policy will be reviewed annually. This policy was last reviewed March 2023.