Aim of video communication platform use

This is an unusual time, and because of the current lockdown regulations we have some groups of
children in school and others at home. We understand that for many pupils this is a distressing time
and we want to work with parents/carers to ensure that we meet the fundamental safeguarding
principle to ‘prevent impairment of health and development’. In the current situation, the process
of social interaction, which is so vital for development, has rightly been curtailed. Our aim is to use
the online conferencing platform Google Meet within Google Classroom, to increase some elements
of social interaction.

Consent

All staff involved in a video communication platform meeting must do so freely and without
compulsion.

All pupils attending a video communication platform meeting must do so under the supervision of an appropriate adult and with parental consent.

In order to ensure the safeguarding of all involved, we will record each video communication
platform meeting. This must be explained at the start, so that people can withdraw if they wish. The
recording will be stored for 30 days after the meeting. Recordings will be stored within the
Academy’s Google Suite. It will only be watched if there is an investigation. After this period the
recording will be deleted.

Safeguarding

A risk assessment must be completed and the findings used to inform the decision to proceed.
Please refer to the Child Protection Policy.

Key actions to be taken to ensure that the meetings proceed without disruption

✔ There will be at least two members of staff in every video communication platform meeting
(including in every breakout room)
✔ The SLT will be invited to every video communication platform meeting and will ‘drop in’ to
quality assure the meeting
✔ All members of the video communication platform meeting must dress appropriately. We
expect pupils to be fully dressed. Teachers and other staff must be smart casual and adhere
to the school’s normal dress code
✔ All members of the household who may enter the line of sight of the meeting must be fully
dressed (e.g. not in sleep or swimming wear)
✔ At all times, language must be polite and respectful and this applies to all members of a household that might be able to be heard
✔ All members of the video communication platform meeting must be in an appropriate space
in the home, a neutral background would be very helpful. All members of a video
communication platform must NOT be in a bedroom/bathroom. If this is unavoidable the
camera must be turned off
✔ Videos may be muted for both pupils and staff if other members of a household become
unsettled or cause a disruption
✔ Participant share screen must be turned off
✔ All participants will be muted on entry
✔ A member of staff will be the IT host of the meeting and where possible a separate member
of staff will be the host presenter
✔ At the end of a meeting, all pupils/parents will leave the meeting first, the staff members will
be the last to leave the meeting
✔ There will be no 1:1 video communication platform meetings
✔ Any safeguarding concern must be reported immediately to office@roxton.school