Social Media Policy
Approved: December 30, 2022
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this policy is to define the social media policy for “Fairgreen International School” and its community of parents, students, teachers and staff. The policy defines the guiding principles for the acceptable use of social media by the school community. Social media refers to social networking platforms including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
It is the official policy of Fairgreen to communicate with parents primarily through electronic means, specifically by email and electronic forms. This decision was made to streamline communication and reduce paper waste, while also ensuring that important information reaches parents in a timely and efficient manner. While hard copies of important documents may still be made available upon request, electronic communication is the primary method used by Fairgreen for all official communication with parents.
All members of the school community should read this document carefully and be fully aware of its contents and guidelines. Parents/Guardians will all be requested to read the policy and sign the media consent form in Appendix I on behalf of their children.
Does this policy only apply to social media?
While online and social media are now the most common forms of media in the world, the same guidelines apply to traditional media such as print, broadcast (television, radio), outdoor billboards and banners.
Why do we use social media at “Fairgreen International School”?
To address the fast-changing landscape of the Internet and the way we communicate and obtain information online, school departments may use social media tools to engage with our school community and with a broader external audience. Where appropriate, “Fairgreen” encourages the use of social media to further the mission and vision of the school and the missions of its departments. Moreover, the school has an overriding interest in determining what is communicated on its behalf on social media sites.
What do we share and why?
From time to time, “Fairgreen International School'' may publish student work and photos of students and staff involved in educational and extra-curricular activities, for educational, communications and public relations purposes. These materials include but are not limited to classroom activities, online classes, school events, concerts, plays, sports and training, school trips, regional activities or general testimonials. We may take photographs of students, faculty and staff to share all that “Fairgreen International School'' has to offer. We may use these images to promote our school via school displays, print publications, school website and social media platforms, press articles, billboards and other promotional channels.
Due to the unique nature of our school and the programmes and initiatives we offer, from time to time, “Fairgreen” may also be visited by the media and external providers who may take photographs or video footage of a high-profile event. Students may appear in these images, and the images may sometimes be published in local or national newspapers and/or approved websites.
As an Esol Education school, “Fairgreen” may also share material with our managing organization, Esol Education, and our sister schools within the wider school network – to promote our best practices and school life at “Fairgreen International School” and Esol Education in all its forms. This may include academic learning, curriculum and extra-curricular activities in order to give viewers a deeper understanding of “Fairgreen International School” and all that comes with it.
Where do we share information?
Content may be used and/or posted by “Fairgreen International School”, Esol Education, its affiliates, and schools that are members of the Esol Education family of schools. This includes:
Internal Publications
- School newsletters
- Reports and articles
- Presentations
* “Fairgreen International School” web-based and/or mobile applications which can be accessed and viewed by the “Fairgreen International School” community only
External Publications
- The official school website
- The official website of Esol Education
- “Fairgreen International School” social media networks (including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn)
- Local and international newspapers and magazines including print and online editions
- Print publications and promotional materials, such as newsletters, brochures, etc.
- Advertisement platforms, such as outdoor and/or digital banners and billboards
“Fairgreen International School” may transfer the print material to Esol Education or to other service providers for processing the material and preparing it for final print publications specifically for purposes identified in this consent form.
Does this policy cover visiting partners?
From time to time, external education partners will visit the school and may request photo/video coverage of their visit, talks and presentations and/or student reactions. Teachers/administrators coordinating these visits should ensure that partners provide their own media consent form for parents of the respective grades to sign, or may use the template provided in Appendix III.
SECTION 2: CHILD PROTECTION, PRIVACY, DIGITAL SAFETY
“Fairgreen International School” champions safe digital citizenship including, protecting our children’s privacy online and helping them maintain a responsible digital footprint. In this regard, we adhere to the following guidelines on Child Online Protection by UNICEF as well as “Fairgreen’s” own safeguarding policy:
- Integrating child rights considerations into all appropriate corporate policies and management processes
- Developing standard processes to address inappropriate material
- Creating a safe and age-appropriate online environment
- Educating children, parents, and teachers about children’s safety and their responsible use of technology
- Promoting digital technology as a mode for further civic engagement
Creating a Healthy and Safe Online Presence for our Students
Social media can be used for good: to share best practices, provide an authentic audience for student work, cultivate digital citizenship among their students, and build more connected school communities. To be responsible digital citizens, our students need educators who model positive, creative and responsible social media use. To this end, “Fairgreen International School” is dedicated to:
- Establishing transparent social media policies and communicating these to our entire community.
- Using parental consent/opt-out forms.
- Protecting students' personally identifiable information and confidentiality. This includes removing or blurring identifying information such as individual student names on post captions, certificates, name tags and handwriting and location.
- Protecting information such as grades, assessments, or any part of a student's educational record.
- Facilitating classroom discussion around social media posting.
- Promoting safe digital citizenship.
- Using our learning management systems to share extensive classroom work in a private forum accessible by parents only.
Adapted from guidelines published by Common Sense Education®.
SECTION 3: FAIRGREEN POLICIES & GUIDELINES
“Fairgreen” encourages the responsible use of social media. The responsible use of social media can be positive for learning, teaching and the cohesion of the “Fairgreen” community. These guiding principles should be adopted by any member of the “Fairgreen” community who wishes to either represent or post about the school online.
1. When using social media, our community members are expected to follow the principles below:
- Nominate content creators who have demonstrated sound judgment and responsible decision-making, and ensure that they post content that reflects the values of the school community, enhances the school’s reputation, and respects audience sensitivities.
- Prioritize child safety above all else
- Focus on communicating and celebrating our school’s mission, vision, pillars, core values and educational offerings
- Celebrate our school’s core values and sustainability in all forms
- Respect the rights and confidentiality of others
- Do not impersonate or falsely represent another person
- Do not bully, intimidate, abuse, harass, or use offensive language towards others
- Do not make defamatory comments
- Do not post content that is hateful, threatening, pornographic or incites violence against others
- Do not harm the reputation and good standing of “Fairgreen International School” or any member of its school community
- Adhere fully to the UAE Government’s Federal media regulations
2. Parents or guardians should communicate with students about the appropriate use of social media so that students understand and follow the guiding principles listed in this document.
3. The following persons comprise “Fairgreen’s” management team for social media:
a. The school’s Communications Manager is the primary person in charge of social media management, with the school’s Senior Leadership Team serving as an advisory body.
b. The responsible teachers or staff members for sub-accounts, as referenced in section 6, are also part of the school’s management team for social media.
4. All persons undertaking to represent the school on social media will undergo an E-Safety Training Course specifically written for teachers, schools and the education sector. This e-Safety course introduces online safety and social media, raising awareness of key issues including online risks, dealing with incidents and how to use social media for parental engagement, teaching and learning. The course fulfills the safeguarding training outcomes as specified by the UK Government’s Office of Standards in Education, Children’s Services & Skills (Ofsted UK) and equivalent inspecting bodies.
5. The intellectual property rights for “Fairgreen International School” and Esol Education are protected and cannot be used without written permission by external parties such as partners, suppliers, students, parents and activity/social groups run at the school.
a. This includes but is not limited to the names and logos of “Fairgreen International School” and Esol Education.
b. Any party seeking to create or manage the school’s sub-accounts with page names containing “Fairgreen” or “Fairgreen International School” (with the intention of sharing content related to the School), or Esol Education, as well as the use of logos containing the school’s brand design, must seek written approval from the school’s management before they can be created or used.
6. Where photography is permitted in school, parents may take photographs or video of their own children and use such content at their discretion. However, should the content be published on social media or elsewhere, parents must ensure that no other children are recognizable in the content. If any other child is recognizable, it is the parent’s responsibility to obtain the permission of the parent to publish the content.
7. Rules for school social media sub-accounts
a. A social media sub-account is any account that is not the school’s official social media channel i.e., a secondary account that represents a particular department, class, or club at school. Content from sub-accounts may occasionally be shared on the school’s main social media channels.
b. Any person intending to create and manage a school sub-account should seek written approval from the school management. Approval is subject to evaluation of the objectives of creating a dedicated account, benefits to the community, type of content that will be shared and intended audience.
c. The manager of any school sub-account should be a member of the school community, and each sub-account should have a teacher or staff member as an advisor to the manager.
d. If the account owner is a student, his/her parent or guardian should use the school consent form (Appendix 1) to provide written permission for the child to own and run the account.
e. All sub-accounts should be created using an official school email address on the domain “@fairgreen.ae” and username and credentials should be registered with the school’s IT and Marketing departments.
f. All sub-account names should start with the name “Fairgreen”, e.g. “Fairgreen Chess Club.”
g. All sub-account managers should reach out to the school’s communications department for a custom-designed logo/profile image and may not alter or use the school logo in any way.
h. If the manager of a school sub-account leaves or graduates from “Fairgreen,” they should contact the “Fairgreen” Marketing Department for account handover, and the “Fairgreen” Marketing Department will temporarily have custody of the account until another appropriate person can assume the role of manager.
i. Sub-accounts will be reviewed annually by the school’s management, which may maintain or discontinue sub-accounts as appropriate.
8. Breaches of this policy will be investigated by the school’s management. If certain online activities are deemed illegal or defamatory, the school may seek guidance from professionals, such as social workers or legal advisors, or from the responsible authorities.
APPENDIX I
Parent Media Consent Form
(please fill out one form per child)
To comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy, the Federal Law No. 5 of 2012 on Combatting Cyber Crimes and its amendment by the Federal Law No. 12 of 2016, UAE, we need your permission before we can photograph or make any recording of students attending “Fairgreen International School”.
Parent/Guardian Consent
By giving consent to this form, the Parent/Guardian hereby understands and agrees to the following:
● To give consent to “Fairgreen International School” and members of the Esol Education network to use student work, photos and material for the purposes listed above, on any platform in an edited or unedited format, in print or digital format, at the discretion of “Fairgreen International School” or Esol Education.
● Students may be identified by the print publications and material listed above
● The content may be used wholly or partially.
● Content shared on the school’s platforms, including its website and social media accounts, will be the property of “Fairgreen International School”.
● “Fairgreen International School” may edit the content at the school's discretion; as such, the school may use the material in any form (photography/videography) and produce more than one copy for the purposes mentioned above and in accordance with this form.
● “Fairgreen International School” and Esol Education may engage sub-processors to process students' personal data, work and photos on behalf of content management, marketing and promotional purposes (i.e. social media marketing).
● The parent/guardian/student will not be entitled to any fees or compensation of any kind for being featured in any material published.
● The parent/guardian waives the right to inspect or approve content and material that may be published by “Fairgreen.”
● In giving consent, the parent/guardian hereby releases “Fairgreen International School” and Esol Education, their employees, agents, officials, representatives and contractors from any responsibility for any damage resulting from use of the material in any manner whatsoever.
● Parent/guardian/student's personal email or postal addresses, telephone or fax numbers will not be published in any of our internal or external publications
● This form is valid indefinitely from the date of signature.
Parent/Guardian Rights
● The parent/guardian is able to withdraw his/her consent to the processing of the student's personal data, work and photos by asking “Fairgreen International School” to stop using the student's personal data, work and photos and any other print material featuring the student at any time, in which case the student's personal data, work and photos will not be used in any future publications but may continue to appear in publications already in use or circulation.
I, Parent/Guardian:
🖵 Have read, understand and accept the school’s acceptable use policy for social media accounts.
🖵 Have communicated the school’s acceptable use policy for social media accounts to my child (ward).
I, Parent/Guardian, (tick below as appropriate)
Consent 🖵
Do Not Give Consent 🖵
For my child's work or photographs to be used within school for promotional purposes in all internal & external publications (please see publications list above)
Consent 🖵
Do Not Give Consent 🖵
For my child’s work and photography to be included in the school yearbook, a book of photos and words published annually to commemorate and highlight the events of the academic year.
Name of Student: ____________________________
Grade: ____________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________
Parent/Guardian Full Name: ____________________________
Date: ____________________________