Introduction

Schools need and welcome positive publicity. Children’s photographs add colour, life and interest to photographs of the school activities and initiatives. Making use of photographs in school publicity materials can increase pupil motivation and staff morale and help parents and the local community identify and celebrate the school’s achievements. However, photographs must be used in a responsible way. Schools need to respect children’s and parents’ rights of privacy and be aware of potential child protection issues. This policy applies to the use of photographs in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press.

This policy reflects the consensus of opinion of the staff & Student Council of Scoil Thomáis, Dublin 15. It was drawn up in a consultative process involving the Digital Technology Post Holders and the Student Council of the school in November and December of 2023.

Rationale

This policy was formulated in accordance with current Data Protection Legislation and Child Protection Guidelines. When publishing images in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press the school must comply with the requirements of:

• Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2018
• The Data Protection Act 1998
• Video Recordings Act 1989
• GDPR 2018

Child Protection

Risk can occur when individual pupils can be identified in photographs. Providing the name and the photograph of a pupil in a publication or on a website allows for the possibility of people outside the school identifying and then contacting pupils directly.

Scoil Thomáis issues a Child Safeguarding Statement every year and parents, children and other adults who are aware of any abuse/inappropriate contact with children that may be connected with publicity material should report this immediately to the Principal or Designated Liaison Person.

Relationship to the Characteristic

Scoil Thomáis 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 principles 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 of this policy

To provide guidance to all school stakeholders and:

1. To add colour, life and interest to articles promoting school activities and initiatives.
2. To help parents and the local community to identify and celebrate the schools’ achievements.
3. To increase pupil motivation and staff morale.
4. To promote a sense of community spirit within the school.
5. To ensure that the right to privacy of children, staff and parents is respected.
6. To ensure that all photographs published are in keeping with the school Child Protection Guidelines.
7. To ensure that all photographs published are in keeping with the Catholic ethos and philosophy of the school.

Guidelines for Taking Photographs

• There are twenty-eight iPads in the school for the taking of photographs. There are also a small number of older digital cameras which are available for pupil use, along with a number of visualisers.
• Staff and pupils are permitted to take digital/video images on school equipment, to support educational aims e.g. for classroom displays or projects.
• Photographs should be stored securely, locally on school devices or on @scoilthomais.ie Google Workspace accounts 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 of others.

Guidelines for Publishing Photographs on the school website/school social media accounts

• School Authorities will seek the consent of parents regarding the use of pupil images on the school Website/school social media accounts upon enrolment.
• Parent consent forms will be retained by the school in individual pupil files and on the Aladdin system.
• A class record of parental 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.
• Photographs of pupils or staff should not be published on the school website after they leave the school, without their consent.
• 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 photo itself, 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.
• Where photographs are taken at an event attended by a large crowd e.g. during the Carol Service or at a sporting event, this is regarded as a public area so it is not necessary to get the permission of everyone in a crowd shot before publishing the image on the school website.

Guidelines for Taking Photographs at School Events

• It is up to school management to decide if they are to allow videos or photographs to be taken by parents during school events such as School Concerts or Award Ceremonies.
• 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:
  1. Make it clear that any images taken must be for private use only and should not be shared on social media.
  2. Inform parents that Data Protection legislation may be contravened if photographs or videos taken at a school event are placed on the internet.
  3. An announcement will be made at the start of events to provide guidance for parents.

Guidelines for taking photographs at events hosted by a third party

• When an event is hosted by a third party, e.g. an Taisce (Green Schools) or Cumann na mBunscol (sporting events) it is up to the host (An Taisce or Cumann na mBunscol) to decide if they wish to allow parents to take videos or photographs at the event.
• The organisers of the event (e.g. An Taisce or Cumann na mBunscol) should explain to parents and/or staff how images taken by the organisers are to be processed, the purpose for which they will be used, and to get any necessary consent e.g. permission to publish images on their website.

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 Press

• 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.
• Scoil Thomáis will seek parental consent before providing names of children to accompany photographs published in newspapers and magazines.

Re-use of Images

• 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, prospectus etc. 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

1. Photographs are published in school publicity materials, on the school website and in the press in accordance with this policy.
2. Parent Consent forms are collected and retained in individual pupil files.
3. The aims set out will be fulfilled.
4. Positive feedback will be received from pupils, staff members, parents and the wider community.

Implementation & Communication

• This policy will be implemented immediately following review and ratification by the Board of Management and communication to the Parents Association.
• A copy of this policy will be available to all school personnel, published on the school website, and will be readily accessible to parents and pupils on request and it will be provided to the Parents’ Association.
• A copy of this policy will be made available to the Department and the patron if requested.
• Copies of the policy will be circulated as part of the enrolment information pack.

Monitoring the implementation of the policy

• The implementation of the policy shall be monitored by the Principal, staff and the Board of Management.

Reviewing and evaluating the policy

• The policy will be reviewed and evaluated after 3 years. On-going review and evaluation will take cognisance of changing information or guidelines (e.g. from the Data Protection Commissioner, Department of Education and Skills or TUSLA), legislation and feedback from parents/guardians, students, school staff and others. The policy will be revised as necessary in the light of such review and evaluation and within the framework of school planning.

Timeframe for Review

This policy will be reviewed in October 2026.

Responsibility for Review

• Website co-ordinator
• School principal
• BOM

Ratification

This policy was reviewed and ratified by the Board of Management of Scoil Thomáis at a meeting held on 29th November 2023.

Signed: Brian Kealy (Chairperson) | Lorna Diffley (Principal/Secretary to the BOM)

Date: 29/11/23