Safe Use of Photographs and Videos
Introduction
This policy applies to the use of photographs in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press.
Rationale
This policy was formulated in accordance with current Data Protection Legislation and Child Protection Guidelines
Naíscoil Íde seeks to help the children to grow and develop into healthy, confident, mature adults, capable of realising their full potential.
We want our school to provide a safe, friendly, effective and stimulating educational environment where the principals of respect, truth, fairness and equality are promoted. It is based on respect for oneself and for others and for the world in which we live.
Aims
Guidelines for Publishing Photographs on the school website
Parents are not required to comply with the Data Protection Act when taking photographs of their children, for their own private use, at an organised event.
When hosting a school event where parents are permitted to take photographs or videos the school will;
Images taken on behalf of the school
On occasion, official commercial video films of children may be recorded e.g. videos of school concerts. The school also arranges for a professional photographer to take class photographs and individual pupil photographs.
Where a commercial photographer is used, the following guidelines apply;
The use of photographs in newspapers and magazines is already subject to strict guidelines through the Code of Practice of the Press Council of Ireland.
Concerns
If parents have any concerns about inappropriate or intrusive photography at a school event they should report their concerns to the School Principal (or to a Staff member if the Principal is not present)
If a parent or child, wishes to have a photograph removed from the school website at any time, they should contact the school Principal.
When a press image has been captured the data controller for that image is the media concerned and not the school. Therefore parents will need to make any objections to that organisation and not the school.
Concerns regarding a breach of Data Protection Legislation should be reported to the Data Protection Commissioner.
Success Criteria
The policy was ratified on 17th September 2018
Timeframe for Review
This policy will be reviewed every three years or earlier if deemed necessary.
Responsibility for Review
Communication
The policy will be made available to parents on the school website and copies will be made available to parents at any time on request
Ratification
This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on 17th September 2018.
This policy applies to the use of photographs in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press.
Rationale
This policy was formulated in accordance with current Data Protection Legislation and Child Protection Guidelines
- Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003
- The Data Protection Act 1998
- Video Recordings Act 1989
- GDPR 2018
Naíscoil Íde seeks to help the children to grow and develop into healthy, confident, mature adults, capable of realising their full potential.
We want our school to provide a safe, friendly, effective and stimulating educational environment where the principals of respect, truth, fairness and equality are promoted. It is based on respect for oneself and for others and for the world in which we live.
Aims
- To add colour, life and interest to articles promoting school activities and initiatives.
- To help parents and the local community to identify and celebrate the schools’ achievements.
- To increase pupil motivation and staff moral
- To promote a sense of community spirit within the school
- To ensure that the right to privacy of children, staff and parents is respected
- To ensure that all photographs published are in keeping with the school Child Protection Policy
- The school is equipped with a digital cameras, videos, and i-pads
- Staff are permitted to take digital/video images on school equipment and their own phones to support educational aims e.g. for classroom displays or projects and for the school website
- Photographs should be removed from devices promptly and stored securely and used only by those authorised to do so
- Staff should ensure that image files are appropriately named and will not use students’ names in image file names
- When taking digital/ video images teachers should ensure that the students are appropriately dressed and are not participating in activities that might bring the individual or the school into disrepute
- Digital images/ video images should not be manipulated or amended, for example, using a “cut & paste” facility. However it is acceptable to crop an image.
- Students must not take, use, share or publish images of others without consent
Guidelines for Publishing Photographs on the school website
- School Authorities will seek the consent of parents regarding the use of pupil images on the School Website.
- Parent consent forms will be retained by the school
- A class record of parental consent/ non consent will be supplied to all class teachers in September of each year
- Parents may at any time withdraw their consent/ non consent for the use of pupil images and digital recordings in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press. Any such request must be made in writing to the school Principal.
- Pictures to be published on the school’s website, or elsewhere, which include pupils will be selected carefully and will comply with good practice guidance on image use
- When publishing digital images/ video images on the school website teachers should be mindful of the way pupils and staff may appear. Digital Images/ video images which are likely to cause embarrassment to a pupil or staff member, now or at a future date, should not be published on the school website.
- Pictures to be published on the school’s website should try to focus on group activities, rather than photos of individual children.
- Personal details (including the name) of any child or adult in a photograph will not be used in association with the photograph (including in the accompanying text or the photograph caption).
- If the full name of a pupil is used in a text published on the school website, a photograph of that child will not be used to accompany the article.
Parents are not required to comply with the Data Protection Act when taking photographs of their children, for their own private use, at an organised event.
When hosting a school event where parents are permitted to take photographs or videos the school will;
- Make it clear that any images taken must be for private use only
- Inform parents that Data Protection legislation may be contravened if photographs or videos taken at a school event are placed on the internet
Images taken on behalf of the school
On occasion, official commercial video films of children may be recorded e.g. videos of school concerts. The school also arranges for a professional photographer to take class photographs and individual pupil photographs.
Where a commercial photographer is used, the following guidelines apply;
- Commercial video films may only be recorded or professional pupil photographs taken with the permission of the School Board of Management.
- Commercial photographers will be required to comply with Data Protection Legislation.
- The school will inform parents that a commercial photographer will be in attendance in school or at an event
- The school will inform parents of the purpose of taking the commercial digital/ video images and how the digital/ video images will be used.
- The school will ensure that pupils are fully supervised by a teacher at all times while the commercial/ professional photographer is present.
The use of photographs in newspapers and magazines is already subject to strict guidelines through the Code of Practice of the Press Council of Ireland.
- Press photographers should get the permission of the school principal before approaching pupils in the school to take photographs.
- The school will ensure that pupils are fully supervised by a teacher while a press photographer is present.
- The Press is exempt from the Data Protection Act, but they have to consider parental wishes if they are allowed to take photographs from which a child can be identified.
- Naíscoil Íde will seek parental consent before providing names of children to accompany photographs published in newspapers and magazines.
- Photographs or videos published on school publicity material and/or the school website may not be copied and/or re-used by staff, parents or others for any purpose other than that for which they were intended without consent.
- Data Protection legislation may be contravened if photographs or videos published on school publicity material and/or the school website are copied and/or re-published for any purpose other than that for which they were intended without consent.
Concerns
If parents have any concerns about inappropriate or intrusive photography at a school event they should report their concerns to the School Principal (or to a Staff member if the Principal is not present)
If a parent or child, wishes to have a photograph removed from the school website at any time, they should contact the school Principal.
When a press image has been captured the data controller for that image is the media concerned and not the school. Therefore parents will need to make any objections to that organisation and not the school.
Concerns regarding a breach of Data Protection Legislation should be reported to the Data Protection Commissioner.
Success Criteria
- Photographs are published in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press in accordance with this policy
- Parent Consent forms are collected and retained
- The aims set out will be fulfilled
- Positive feedback will be received from pupils, staff members, parents and the wider community.
The policy was ratified on 17th September 2018
Timeframe for Review
This policy will be reviewed every three years or earlier if deemed necessary.
Responsibility for Review
- School Principal
Communication
The policy will be made available to parents on the school website and copies will be made available to parents at any time on request
Ratification
This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on 17th September 2018.