Ballyclare High School have secured the Online Safety Mark
By Ballyclare High School on 12 April, 2018
Ballyclare High School have secured the Online Safety Mark for the second time – a first for any post-primary school in Northern Ireland.
Schools that are able to show good practice in their Online Safety policy and procedures can apply for the Online Safety Mark. Ballyclare High School was the first post-primary school in NI to achieve the award in 2015, a process led by their Online Safety Coordinator Mhairi Hill.
Commenting on the application, Ron Richards (Online Safety Mark Lead Assessor) stated,
“…there is a great deal more maturity in the school’s online safety provision and this follows on from what was already judged as excellent practice in 2015.”
The following areas were highlighted as particular areas of strength:
- The bespoke Online Safety education programme designed by Mrs Hill and delivered by Form Teachers.
- Staff awareness and confidence enhanced through high quality internal and external training opportunities.
- The ethos of the school, which has allowed for the development of more mature and progressive policies with regard to mobile devices and the use of social media.
- The contribution of young people.
Mr Richards continued,
“The school is to be complimented for the way in which it strives to share its good online safety practice and has taken a lead in this respect in Northern Ireland.”
In the assessor’s report, the following recommendations were made:
- The school should continue to be a beacon of good practice, sharing its expertise and helping other schools to improve their online safety practice.
- Mrs Hill has shown that she is very much an expert in this field and could contribute her expertise and knowledge to other schools through the assessment process.
