filtering - How much is too much and do you get inspected on it

[Mimi-]

Hopefully not a strange question.

I have been given the job to make sure our filters are in place and to monitor children's use of the internet. I think I have gone down a paranoid route and am taking it too seriously.

We are with RM safety net where the children have gone through Ad sync so their names and use are shown. I check this every week or at least every other week and so far nothing has tuned up, all is fine.

I am then paranoid about the filtering, RM have their own filtering system but many words such as s*x and Drugs are still getting through so I have added them to the denied list. Now I'm going crazy and typing all sorts of words which let me see things but don't want to go down the route of crazy person who denied everything! Staff are on a different filter and they can see even more!

 

What do you guys filter and how much? Do you test the filters weekly by testing words? Do we have people looking at our filters and typing words in any type of inspection? I'm not sure what it too much/not enough. What do you all do. We are a junior school by the way.

 

Thank you

[skell]

Speak to your safeguarding lead and discuss the filtering with them. Ultimately, while you are responsible for applying the filters, you shouldn't be solely responsible for whats actually being filtered.

[chewee]

we have had to filter some odd searches such as "rio carnival", best to be safe than sorry

[strawberry]

Echo what skell said. Policy is a SMT issue, let them decide what is blocked and for who and how it is to be monitored.

[6Foot2]

We were inspected recently with a heavy emphasis on safeguarding. My presence was not requested at any stage during the inspection.

[Mimi-]

Thank you everyone, think I'm looking into this too much then. My slt and very thankful for what I am doing but I don't think they are 100% sure on what an inspection would look for or ask on the computing side either so I've been left to it. I've got the the notes from the keeping children safe document but that is quite vague safety wise too.

Ps will google rio carnival now just for fun

[TwistedHelixis]

Roman jugs is also one to ban

[elsiegee40]

From the stickies in our eSafety forum. Kent’s @esafety_officer has analysed the Ofsted inspection documents and others in detail to translate them into implications for schools and governors. They are worth a read

 

Online Safety within "Inspecting Safeguarding in Education 2016" - updated Sept 2017

 

Online Safety within "Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016" - published 26/5/16

 

”Safer Professional Practice with Technology” Guidance for professionals

Edited December 20, 2017 by elsiegee40

[AlanD]

Monitoring...and reporting...are important...and there should be evidence that safeguarding lead is getting these details...and acting on it (and should be able to show documented evidence of this over a period of time).

 

Monitoring and reporting will show evidence that filters are in place...which should be "age appropriate"...so older students might be given access to - say pinterest...with some warning to them...and the very youngest (in reception of a primary) are probably in a walled garden - and probably have a "kids" search engine by default.

 

Reporting on "searches" often tells you more than simply a list of sites which were blocked to students.

 

They will (and do) ask students of course...and "blocking" which gets in the way of learning would be disapproved of....even if it came with some risks.

 

Games and the like...they wont care about (some schools seem to spend most of their time chasing these down...)