Photography, Video Recording and the Use of Images
The school recognises that parents and carers may wish to make a personal family record of their child's participation in school activities, including sporting events, performances, ceremonies and other official functions. This may include photographs, digital images and video recordings. Parents and carers are welcome to make such a record, subject to the conditions set out below and any temporary arrangements that may be communicated for specific events.
Conditions for Parent and Carer Photography
Parents and carers may take photographs or recordings for personal and family use only. Where other children are incidentally included within an image, that image must remain for personal use and must not be shared publicly or on unrestricted online platforms.
All images and recordings taken by parents and carers are strictly for personal family use and must not be placed in the public domain. This includes publication on websites, public social media accounts, video-sharing platforms or other publicly accessible online services.
Where images have been shared inappropriately, parents, carers or pupils should first seek the cooperation of the individual who uploaded the content and make use of the platform's reporting procedures. Where concerns remain unresolved, the matter should be reported to the school.
Parents and carers must respect the rights, privacy and dignity of all individuals and support the school's safeguarding responsibilities at all times.
The use of cameras and recording devices should be carried out with consideration and courtesy towards others.
Copyright, performance licensing or safeguarding considerations may prevent the filming or recording of some events. Where this applies, the school will inform attendees in advance or at the event.
Temporary Restrictions
While the school supports reasonable parental photography for personal use, there may be occasions when temporary restrictions are required. The Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team may introduce temporary restrictions on photography or recording at specific events where safeguarding, child protection, privacy, copyright, licensing, religious observance, security concerns or exceptional circumstances make such restrictions necessary. Any temporary restrictions will normally be communicated to parents and carers in advance and will be reviewed regularly. Such restrictions may apply to individual events or for a defined period while a safeguarding review or risk assessment is undertaken.
Relationship to Statutory Guidance
The school follows relevant safeguarding, data protection and online safety guidance, including guidance issued by the Department for Education.
Current government guidance allows schools to establish reasonable arrangements for photography and recording at school events where safeguarding or privacy concerns arise.
The school's photography arrangements reflect local safeguarding decisions and risk assessments.
The school will review its arrangements periodically in response to emerging technologies, including developments relating to artificial intelligence, as well as changes to safeguarding risks and statutory guidance.
Use of Images by the School
The school:
· seeks parental consent before using photographs or video recordings of pupils for publication, display or promotional purposes;
· only uses authorised school equipment or approved school systems;
· only captures images for legitimate educational, safeguarding, celebratory or promotional purposes;
· uses pupils' first names only alongside images where identification is required;
· ensures pupils are appropriately dressed and presented;
· encourages pupils to report any concerns regarding photographs or recordings taken of them;
· applies safeguarding, privacy and data protection considerations whenever images are created, stored, shared or published.
Storage, Access and Retention
Images and recordings taken by the school are stored securely on school-approved systems and are accessible only to authorised staff where access is necessary for legitimate school purposes.
The school will take reasonable steps to ensure that images are protected from unauthorised access, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
Photographs and recordings will be retained only for as long as they are required for educational, safeguarding, historical or promotional purposes and will be deleted or archived in accordance with the school's records management and data retention procedures.
Where images are shared with third-party providers acting on behalf of the school, appropriate contractual, safeguarding and data protection arrangements will be in place.
Consent and Withdrawal of Consent
Consent for the use of pupil photographs and recordings is sought from parents and carers when a child joins the school and may be reviewed periodically.
Parents and carers may withdraw or amend their consent at any time by contacting the school office in writing.
The school will maintain appropriate records of consent preferences and will take reasonable steps to ensure that a pupil whose consent has been withdrawn is not included in future photographs or publications, except where inclusion is unavoidable in historical records or group images that have already been lawfully published.
Governance and Oversight
These procedures are approved and monitored by the Governing Body as part of its safeguarding responsibilities.
Operational decisions regarding photography arrangements, event-specific restrictions and safeguarding risk management are made by the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, who will keep governors informed of significant changes, reviews or emerging safeguarding concerns.
