The Highfield School takes the safety of our students and e-safety education seriously. We are aware of the rapid growth of electronic communications and the potential dangers for young people.  The safe use of Internet and electronic communications technologies such as mobile phones and wireless connectivity is fundamental to our teaching.  Our e-safety protocol highlights the need to educate children and young people about the benefits and risks of using new technologies both in and away from school.  The protocol provides safeguards and rules to guide all users whether staff or student, in their online experiences.  The e-safety protocol operates in conjunction with other policies and protocols including those for Behaviour and Learning, Curriculum, Privacy Notice, Child Protection plus the Home School Agreement.  The protocol is available for all stakeholders on request, we have a senior member of staff responsible for E-safety as well as a link Governor.

The Internet is an essential element in 21st century life for education, business and social interaction.  The school has a duty to provide students with high-quality Internet access as part of their learning experience.  Internet use is a part of the statutory curriculum and a necessary learning tool for staff and students.  The Highfield School Internet access is designed expressly for students use and will include filtering appropriate to the age of the students. Clear boundaries will be set for the appropriate use of the Internet and digital communications and discussed with staff and students.  Students will be educated in the effective use of the Internet in research, including the skills of knowledge location, retrieval and evaluation.  The Highfield School will ensure that the use of the Internet derived materials by staff and by students complies with copyright law.  Students should be taught to be critically aware of the materials they read and shown how to validate information before accepting its accuracy.

E-safety messages are given in a variety of different contexts.  Staff deliver key guidance in lessons, across a variety of subjects.  In addition, age appropriate assemblies and workshops are scheduled to ensure a consistent message to all.  We use the excellent CEOP materials, which often include striking videos re-enacting life events.  Themes such as risking employment issues due to sharing inappropriate information on line, nudity, radicalisation and the dangers of meeting strangers, are focussed upon.