The School strongly believes in effective communication of information to all  employees in order to promote a greater understanding of the School’s activities,  the issues it faces and the direction it is taking. The methods used for communication are designed to encourage a two-way exchange between  management and staff. In order to be truly effective, the full commitment of  everyone within the School is essential. 

Your attention is drawn to the white board in the Staff Room, which provides daily information of general interest as well as on specific issues relating to the School.  Details of any internal vacancies will be advertised on the staff notice board in the Staff Room and all staff will be informed via the email system. 

Notwithstanding all the more structured communications systems operated within  the School, effective communications depend ultimately upon mutual trust and respect between the parties on a day to day basis to promote positive relationships  and to avoid conflict. Your sustained support and cooperation is, of course,  encouraged and will produce better relationships and an amicable working  environment. 

CONFIDENTIALITY: 

Any school information/records including details of pupils, parents and employees  whether actual, potential or past, other than those contained in authorised and  publicly available documents, must be kept confidential unless the School’s prior written consent has been obtained. This requirement exists both during and after  your employment. In particular, you must not use such information for the benefit  of any future employer. 

If you keep any information on USB memory sticks, they must be encrypted to  ensure you are complying with GDPR. If you use the USB stick on a computer other than a school one, you must ensure that it has an up to date anti-virus system  running, to ensure the information remains confidential. 

SOCIAL MEDIA: 

Staff must take care when using social networking websites such as Facebook or  Instagram, even when such use occurs in their own time using their own computer.  Social Networking sites invite users to participate in informal ways which can leave  you open to abuse, and often make little or no distinction between adult users and  children. No social media posts regarding events involving pupils must be  published on social media during the activity. 

You must not allow any pupil or parent to access personal information you post on  social networking sites. In particular: 

 ● You MUST NOT add a pupil to your ‘friends list’, or a former pupil at anytime; 

● You MUST NOT become ‘friends’ on Facebook with a parent of a current  pupil and you must never become ‘friends’ with a current or former pupil at  anytime; 

● You MUST ensure that personal information is not accessible via a ‘Public’  setting, but ensure it is set to a ‘friends only’ level of visibility; 

● You MUST NOT contact any pupil or parent privately via a social networking  website, even for school-related purposes, unless you have been granted  permission to do so by the Headmaster;         

● You should take steps to ensure that any person contacting you via a social  networking website is who they claim to be, and not an imposter, before  allowing them access to your personal information.