USE OF MOBILE PHONES (AND PHOTOGRAPHY) AT HADFIELD NURSERY SCHOOL
Background
Over recent years mobile phones have become increasingly popular and increasingly complicated. It is now unusual for an adult not to have a mobile phone and for this phone not to have a camera integrated into it. With this in mind the council has developed the following guidance on use of mobile phones in Early Years settings. This guidance should be implemented in all council run settings such as Children’s Centres and Maintained Nurseries. It is recommended as good practice to all privately run Early Years settings.
Concerns
There are two major concerns regarding staff having mobile phones on their person during work hours in the nursery setting; both of which have safeguarding implications.
The first concern is the ability to take photos with a mobile phone which has a camera fitted outside any agreed protocol for taking photographs in the establishment.
The second is that staff may be tempted to answer their phone whilst at work and that this could distract them from their supervisory duties.
There is also a concern that parents/carers/visitor to the nursery also have the ability with such phones or devices, to take photographs of children in the establishment outside agreed protocols.
Actions
- Parents are requested not to put photographs from school onto the internet or social networks sites, including photographs from events and pictures that are taken by school as part of the record keeping process, forest school and birthday cards etc.
- At Hadfield Nursery School, photographs and video of children must only be taken with school devices (e.g. i-pads, cameras). Parents sign to allow such imaging of their child on entry, including for use in Learning Journeys, and whether they permit images to appear on our website and in newspapers.
- Staff, students and volunteers may take photographs on school devices, to be used with observations of children’s learning or for display purposes within nursery (and possibly on the nursery website, and/or publications with parental consent). The purpose, type, suitability and distribution of images is detailed within the On-line Safety Policy.
- It is understandable that parents/carers will want to take photographs of their children during particular nursery events. At Hadfield Nursery School, we permit parental photography/filming at the Nativity performance and Leavers’ Assemblies, both of which are controlled events. However if this is to happen then the permission of the parents/carers of all the children involved in the event should be obtained prior to the performance or event. This is usually obtained on entry to Nursery.
- Staff are not be allowed to use mobile phones whilst working with the children in the nursery setting. All staff will be asked to sign to state they are aware of this rule and that they agree to abide by it. Staff are asked to leave their mobile phones in a safe location such as the staff room or office. If staff use their phones around our young children it will be considered a breach of our rules and will be subject to disciplinary action. The only exception to this is that staff may carry their mobile phone on trips out of the setting in case of emergency or the need to contact school.
- Staff may in emergency situations need to make a call using their mobile phone. In such circumstances, staff, students or volunteers can use the staffroom or office for this purpose, ensuring other staff within the area they are working are aware and suitable supervision levels whilst this happens are made.
- Communications will be made to parents, carers and visitors that the use of mobile phones in and about the premises when there are young people present is not allowed. This could be communicated by letter to regular establishment users and by the use of signs or notices.