Virtual Schools always recommends that a school includes plenty of photographs on its website. They grab the visitor's attention quickly and brighten the appearance of all your pages, but before you do so we suggest that you read the folllowing image guidelines.
Use of Images and Pupil Data on the Virtual Schools Environment is a fundamental requirement. Whilst the majority of this information will be held within the secure areas of the platform it is recognised that a significant proportion of this material will be suitable for publishing on the School Website. To this end we have listed below a number of key points / guidelines to take into consideration when using Pupil Data and Images on your "public" Website.
- At every opportunity and on all "official" school documentation to parents you should stress that as a School you reserve the right to use at any time, and in any media form, any images, recordings or other media of children, staff and others at the school, unless that person has written in and formally requested not to be included.
- However even if "exclusion" has been requested by an individual this will not necessitate the school having to exclude general Group or Class pictures where individuals are not clearly identifiable.
- You should not use / re use any photographs or recordings of Pupils after they have left the school without the express premission of the child and parents.
- You should not use a child's name in full, especially when associated directly with a photograph.
- You should not use personal details, email, postal address, telephone, fax other than in situations where the details have been knowingly and openly provided by the individual themselves.
- Schools should seek to use images that are suitable. Where images are sourced externally schools should satisfy themselves as to copyright and best practice would be to acknowledge the photographer and source, even in situations where the image becomes a link to another website.
