MOBILE PHONE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY STUDENTS
November 10, 2023 2023-11-10 10:25MOBILE PHONE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY STUDENTS
MOBILE PHONE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY STUDENTS
Rationale
The College has a responsibility to encourage the responsible use of mobile phones. This policy is designed to ensure that potential issues such as mobile phone etiquette can be clearly identified and addressed, ensuring the benefits that mobile phones provide (such as effective communication and security) can be enjoyed by all students. The policy applies to students during the college day, and also those living in CTC Homestay and also on college activities in evenings and at weekends.
Responsible Conduct
Students should be aware that mobile phone technology carries the potential to impinge on others’ human rights. Our College community has a clear code of conduct relating to how we treat others and this should be borne in mind when using mobile phones. Phones may not be used for recording images of other students or staff without their explicit permission. They must not be used for SMS/texting any message likely to cause offence, nor used anonymously on any occasion. It should be noted that it is a criminal offence to use a mobile phone to menace or harass another person. If its sanctions are deemed ineffective, the College will involve the Police to investigate any such incident.
During Classes and Test Periods
Mobile phones must be switched off during all lessons, test periods, assemblies and official college functions unless the member of staff on duty allows them to be used for a specific purpose. Failure to follow this rule will lead to confiscation.
In the Library
Mobile phones must be on silent while in the library and calls may not be answered or made. Personal devices such as iPads, tablets, laptops and electronic dictionaries may be used in the library provided they are silent and their use does not disturb others.
During Public Examinations
Theft or Damage
• Students should mark their mobile phone clearly with their name.
• Phones found in college and whose owner cannot be identified should be handed in to the Main Office.
• The College accepts no responsibility for replacing lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones, either in college or while travelling to and from the college. They are solely the responsibility of the owner.
• It is strongly advised that students use passwords/pin numbers to ensure that unauthorised calls cannot be made on their phones. All such security codes should remain confidential and should not be shared.
MOBILE PHONE ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY STAFF/VISITORS
Rationale
It is our intention to provide an environment in which students, parents and staff are safe from images being recorded and inappropriately used in turn eliminating the following concerns:
• Staff being distracted from their work with students
• The inappropriate use of mobile phone and cameras around students
Aim
Our aim is to:
Have a clear policy on the acceptable use of mobile phones and cameras that is understood and adhered to by all parties concerned without exception.
Use of mobile phones by staff and visitors
Personal mobile phones
Staff (including visitors, volunteers, contractors and anyone else otherwise engaged by the college) are not permitted to make or receive calls, or send texts, while students are present/during contact time. Use of personal mobile phones must be restricted to non-contact time, and to areas of the college where students are not present (such as the staff room).
There may be circumstances in which it’s appropriate for a member of staff to have use of their phone during contact time. For instance:
For emergency contact by their own child, or their child’s school/college
In the case of acutely ill dependents or family members
Receiving Government Emergency Alerts (from Jan 2023)
The Principal will decide on a case-by-basis whether to allow for special arrangements. If special arrangements are not deemed necessary, college staff can use the college office number 020 8688 5284 as a point of emergency contact.
Data protection
Safeguarding
Staff must refrain from giving their personal contact details to parents or students, including connecting through social media and messaging apps.
Staff must avoid publicising their contact details on any social media platform or website, to avoid unwanted contact by parents or students.
Staff must not use their mobile phones to take photographs or recordings of students, their work, or anything else which could identify a student. If it’s necessary to take photos or recordings as part of a lesson/college trip/activity, this must be done using college equipment.
Users bringing personal devices into college must ensure there is no inappropriate or illegal content on the device.
If there is a concern about the image content of a member of staff’s mobile phone, the Principal reserves the right to check the image content or contact the police.
Using personal mobiles for work purposes
In some extreme circumstances, it may be appropriate for staff to use personal mobile phones for work. Such circumstances may include, but aren’t limited to:
Emergency evacuations
Supervising off-site trips having lost/broken the college phone
Our policy on educational visits promotes the use of the college mobile phone whenever possible to reduce the use of personal phones to emergencies only.
In emergencies staff will:
• Use their mobile phones in an appropriate and professional manner, in line with our staff code of conduct
• Not use their phones to take photographs or recordings of students, their work, or anything else which could identify a student
• Refrain from using their phones to contact parents. If necessary, contact must be made via the college office
Work phones
Some relevant members of staff are provided with a mobile phone by the college for work purposes.
Only authorised staff are permitted to use college phones, and access to the phone must not be provided to anyone without authorisation.
Staff must:
• Only use phone functions for work purposes, including making/receiving calls, sending/receiving emails or other communications, or using the internet
• Ensure that communication or conduct linked to the device is appropriate and professional at all times, in line with our staff code of conduct.
The use of Cameras
Only college owned cameras should be used in conjunction with college owned memory cards. Personal memory cards should never be put into college cameras and college memory cards should never be put in to personal cameras.
College camera memory cards should be downloaded on to college computers only.
Photographs may be taken for the purpose of recording a student or group of students participating in activities or celebrating their achievements and in an effective way to record their progress and development.
Students are allowed to take their own cameras on college visits but staff should monitor their use.
College cameras will be checked regularly by the network manager and wiped each term. Any suspicious activity will be reported directly to an SLT member.
Photographs of students should always be taken when they are in open spaces and visible by other adults. Photographs should not be taken on a 1:1 basis or when alone with a student under any circumstances.
Failure to adhere to the contents of this policy will lead to disciplinary procedures being followed.
Permission to take photographs of students at college must be granted by the parents/carers. If parents or students do not wish for photographs to be taken, they can opt out at any time even though they have signed our photographic agreement form which give college permission to take their photographs for publicity and promotion.
Permission will not be given for photographs to be placed on any Social Networking Sites unless it is the college site under any circumstances.
Parents/carers are able to use mobile phones to record college assemblies and other events, but are asked to respect the wishes of other parents and limit their recording to their own student(s). Senior members of staff are always present at these events to monitor the recording taking place.
Reviewed: August 2023
Next Review: August 2024
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