Things to be aware of:

• Hertswood’s filtering systems will log students’ use of their Chromebooks outside the school, filter their access to websites, and notify staff of concerning activity.

• This monitoring and filtering will only impact your child’s school account, which is the only account they are able to use on their school Chromebook. It will not impact any personal accounts.

• Hertswood staff will not be able to view the screen of your child’s device while it is outside school.

• Parents will not be able to adjust the existing restrictions on certain categories of websites, such as those relating to drugs, gambling or pornography.

If you as a parent choose to use the system, you will be able to:

• Monitor the websites your child has visited while outside of school, either by accessing the service, through weekly emailed reports, or through notifications of flagged activities.

• Allow your child use of certain categories of websites blocked in school, such as games and streaming media.

• Block specific websites you would not like your child to visit while outside school.

• Temporarily ‘pause’ your child’s online access while outside school, or set an ‘offline schedule’.

While we hope that this is a welcome addition to Hertswood’s offering to parents, we ask you to remember that no system is perfect. There is no substitute for parents paying active attention to their child’s use of all internet-enabled devices, and having regular discussions with their child about how they use their devices and the internet.

Further Resources for Parents

• Quick-Start Guide for Parents

• Frequently Asked Questions for Parents

• Guide to Securly Categories for Parents