Safe use of email - Guidelines for staff

The following guidelines will help schools implement the use of e-mail and apply to both staff and pupils.

1. Do not attempt to give all pupils e-mail access straight away. Provide training and awareness of good practice, and plan for its implementation.
2. Take into account the age of the pupil and their ability to use e-mail. Consider the need for individual addresses as opposed to class or group addresses and the ability of the pupil to understand the potential dangers of using e-mail to communicate with strangers.
3. Pupils and staff must understand that their e-mail address can be picked up from a sent e-mail. It is very useful to have a number of general school e-mail addresses that can be given out in some cases.
4. Pupils must be taught to keep their e-mail address secure and only send messages to people or organisations they can trust.
5. They should not give their e-mail address to strangers nor should they reply to unsolicited e-mails. If they receive abusive or offensive e-mails they must not reply to them and should report such occurrences to their teacher.
6. Pupils should not give details in e-mails, or in any other way on the Internet, that could identify their home address or phone number/mobile number.
7. Sensitive or confidential information must not be sent by e-mail over the Internet. This is considered to be about as secure as sending an open postcard.
8. Pupils must be advised never to meet with anyone with whom they have been communicating via the Internet/e-mail unless they first discuss this with an adult. The issue of potential 'electronic stranger danger' should be discussed with the pupils.
9. Ensure all staff and pupils are aware that e-mails sent and received via school computers may be inspected at any time.
10. Pupils and staff should be aware that e-mails from the school present an image of the school to recipients and therefore should not contain anything that would cause offence or present the school or user in a bad light.

Examples of good practice when using email
As the use of email continues to grow, there is a need to identify good practice. The suggestions below are a few examples of good practice.

· Ensure pupils and teachers are aware of who is responsible for monitoring the use of email.
· Do not forward chain letters to anyone else, and report them to the appropriate person.
· Know how to deal with and avoid receiving junkmail and unsolicited mail
· Do not impersonate anyone else using e-mail
· Do not use e-mail to send comments or information that is defamatory or libellous, or use e-mail as a means of harassment, intimidation or annoyance to anyone else. The sender of an e-mail should only send messages the contents of which they would be happy to be receive or have read out in court. E-mail messages are admissible as evidence.
· Do not reply to pestering, offensive or suggestive e-mails - pupils should report such occurrences to a teacher or appropriate adult.
· There is a growing instance of computer viruses being sent by email, often innocently. If you think you have received a virus, delete the email without opening it and report it to the teacher or appropriate adult.

Heather Jeavons / Shirley Hackett updated Feb. 2006