Acceptable Use Policy

The use of Pennthorpe’s ICT resources and services is a facility granted, at the school’s discretion, to pupils. This Acceptable Use Policy is essential for managing and sustaining the integrity and legality of the Pennthorpe network and computing resources.

All parents and pupils must read and confirm acceptance of the school’s Acceptable Use Policy, specifically:

• Use of the Pennthorpe school network constitutes agreement to comply with this policy.
• These rules apply to the use of any of the school computers, wherever they may be. They also apply whenever a user is logged on to the Pennthorpe network, whether through a school owned device or a privately owned one.
• Pupils are given a user account to enable them to use the facilities on the school network. Use of this account is monitored – it is neither private nor privileged.
• Pupils are given an email account to use, which is monitored and filtered. Pupils are responsible for the content on their account and are required to follow the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include but are not limited to:
  1. Pupils are not allowed to reveal their date of birth, personal address or contact number, nor the date of birth, personal address or contact number of other users.
  2. Pupils are not allowed to distribute images of themselves or others.
  3. Pupils should be polite and use appropriate language.
• Do not swear or use vulgarities.
• Do not harass or bully.
• Pupils must not use someone else’s username to gain access to the school network.
• Pupils must not write down their password, nor share their password with others.
• Pupils may not attempt to circumvent security of any host, network or account, or penetrate security measures (“hacking”) on or accessed through the Pennthorpe network.
• Pupils must not probe, scan or test the vulnerability of the network or other networks.
• Pupils must not use the network, or their own property, to access or process inappropriate content, or content that is dangerous to the integrity of the network.
• Pupils must not transmit, re-transmit, publish or store material on or through the Pennthorpe network which is bullying, threatening, abusive, hateful, indecent, or defamatory.
• Pupils must report any unpleasant material or message received, in order to help protect themselves and other pupils.
• Storage media, such as USB keys, are prohibited at Pennthorpe.
• If a pupil breaches the above rules, their account may be inspected and their access stopped. Pupils may also render themselves liable to sanction, up to and including suspension and exclusion.
• Pupils may not access the internet on school devices, except through the school network.
• Above all, pupils must be kind online.