All adults should do what is best for you. When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children.
You have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, in body or mind.
You have the right to privacy.
You have the right to protection from any kind of exploitation (being taken advantage of).
Waycroft Multi Academy Trust (MAT) uses photography/video to enhance display, promote children’s learning and support their needs.
Making use of photography for publicity materials promotes our academies in the press, on the website and in educational documentation and journals.
Photographs/videos of children attending our academies add interest to articles promoting our many activities and are an integral part of our records, assessment and observation procedures.
The use of photography/video enables our academies to benefit by teaching children to use recent technologies, increasing children’s motivation, lifting staff morale and helps parents/carers/guardians and the local community identify and celebrate our many achievements.
We have agreed a policy to ensure that there is recognition of the many benefits that are gained by the use of photography/video for Waycroft MAT and to ensure procedures will not allow the safeguarding of children to be compromised.
Risks can be minimised by following guidelines detailed below.
There may be a risk when individual children can be identified in photographs and when their names are known which appear alongside photographs.
It is known that the content and image of a photograph can be used or adapted for inappropriate purposes.
Photographs and video images of children and staff are classed as personal data under the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 1998. Using images for academy publicity purposes requires consent. Waycroft MAT will not display images of children or staff around the academies, on websites, in class DVD’s and publications without consent. We will try to work sensitively to ensure that photographs of children are also not taken in a public place without consent. There is recognition that photographs taken at an event attended by large crowds is regarded as a public area and it may not always be possible to get permission from everyone within a shot.
Parents/carers/guardians will be asked to sign consent forms authorising their permission for children to be photographed whilst attending a Waycroft MAT academy. Parents/carers/guardians will be asked to consent their agreement for any photograph to be displayed either in the academy, on the website or in educational documentation. Parents/carers/guardians will be provided access to copies of the Photography Policy. Careful explanation about the purpose and use of photography will be provided to the parent/carer/guardian of each child attending a Waycroft MAT Academy. This will be in the pack given to new pupils. We will ensure that no child’s photograph will be displayed around the academies, on a website or in press articles organised by the MAT without consent. Copies of consent procedures are appended to this policy.
Parents can withhold permission for their child to be photographed in school. There are many reasons parents can withhold permission for their child to be photographed. These may include…
At academy events, we remind parents that photos and videos cannot be taken during performances because we do not have permission for all children present to be photographed. We will always try to make time for parents to photograph their own child or groups of friends as agreed with other parents. E.G.at the end of the show we will keep the children on the stage so parents can photograph their child or groups of friends as agreed. At other events, such as sports days, concerts etc. parents should be careful not to photograph children for whom they do not have permission to photograph. We may put anonymised photos (not naming the child) on the academies’ Facebook and Twitter feed if we have permission to do this. Good practice for academy staff is to photograph the activity not the child if the photo will be shared on social media (e.g. take photo of children running in a race from behind so they cannot be identified)
Staff and Trustees at Waycroft MAT will:
Parents and carers will:
‘’We cannot be held responsible if your child appears in the background of a photograph being taken by another parent/carer at some events’’
Great care will be taken to ensure that photography used for publicity purposes does not feature images which may be at risk for inappropriate use. Consent from parents/carers/guardians will be required before any image is used on the academy website, (see consent form below).
Children’s full names will not be linked to photographs.
The use of photographs in newspapers and magazines is already subject to strict guidelines. The Press Complaints Commissions Code of Practice provides guidance outlining responsible photographic practices. No child should be photographed who is aged less than 16 years without parental consent. Pupils must not be approached or photographed without the permission. From time to time Waycroft MAT will contact the press to feature special achievement projects and successes. Parents/carers/guardians will be invited to consent to their child being photographed on these occasions thus ensuring that photographs featured within press articles are approved. Names of children to accompany photographs published in newspapers and magazines will appear only where parents/carers/guardians have consented.
When a commercial photographer is used we will:
Parents/carers should not share photos of children on social media, internet or by email unless you have the explicate permission of the child’s parent/carer to do so. It is good practice to seek permission of the child for taking the photo and sharing of photos so that children grow up knowing they can control their own image and who sees it.
If any parent/carer needs clarification of this policy and how it might impact on their family, please make an appointment to discuss this with the Head of School/Executive Headteacher.
The implementation of this policy will be reviewed annually including discussion regarding any parental input.
Photography/Video Consent
Name of Child:
I give permission for my child’s photograph to be taken or to be filmed at Waycroft in the following contexts:
I give permission for these images to be used on the Academy’s website. However, surnames of children are not published alongside any photographs. I am also aware that from time to time, photographs of children can be used in newspapers, published documents or on the television.
OR
Due to exceptional circumstances in my family, it is not appropriate for my child to have his/her photograph taken in the contexts listed above and I do not consent to them being filmed during any sporting event/ concert/ camp etc.
I would like to make an appointment to speak to the Safeguarding Officer at the Academy to discuss this in more detail and to share information regarding these circumstances.
Signed:
(Parent /Carer) Date:
Please note, the responses indicated on this form will be kept on your child’s file for the duration of their time at Waycroft Academy. If you would like the permissions altered, you will need to complete a new consent form.
Further details are available in the full photography policy
