Do you block flight booking websites?

[hyb80]

Just been asked whether we should be blocking student access to sites where they can book their own flights.

 

In terms of the Prevent strategy it makes sense just wondered if anyone else does it already.

[Sonic007]

It makes sense. You dont want them purchasing things via a device the school allowed them to use.

[Oaktech]

We block for students, we allow it for staff, coz, work-life balance.

 

Safeguarding was not our primary concern in a Junior school, but stopping year 6 students wasting multiple lessons seeing who could put together the most expensive holiday was.

[fiza]

So how do you block those sites? Is there a specific category that covers this?

[Oaktech]

So how do you block those sites? Is there a specific category that covers this?

 

You can block shopping and travel as categories in Lightspeed which catches the vast majority of well known ones. We also block major airlines manually. It's not perfect, but it's enough.

[christhetech]

We block shopping and travel for all student profiles, along with the obvious gambling, adult etc.

At first, I took a bit of an alternative approach, working along the lines that a child would not actually be able to book a holiday, shop or gamble online without a credit card and that they wouldn't have access to a valid card so it would be fine. How wrong I was. We block them now because even though you would need a card to actually book, there is nothing stopping anybody browsing and building a huge shopping basket without actually checking out, wasting a fair bit of classroom time.

I've also worded the on-screen message for blocked sites in a manner that puts the students off even trying to access them again, reminding them that their internet usage is a privilege, not a right. Their usage is strictly monitored and repeated misuse of the facility may lead to disciplinary measures and complete removal of their internet privileges.

[bossman]

We have to allow students access to travel sites as its part of our geography curriculum.....

 

To this date we have not had any issues.....

 

It is felt that learning life skills is paramount to our students development and being able to plan and book a holiday and learn about the places of interest broadens our students horizons...

 

Its not my decision to make either as its down to the SLT.....

[mikes]

seems a little extreme, blocking flight booking websites? is this government advice?

[christhetech]

seems a little extreme, blocking flight booking websites? is this government advice?

No. It just stops the little angels wasting the best part of a lesson trying to put together the most expensive holiday ever.