Use Of Social Media

Social media websites are being used increasingly to fuel campaigns and complaints against schools, Headteachers, school staff, and in some case other parents/students.

The Whitby High School considers the use of social media websites being used in this way as unacceptable and not in the best interests of the children or the whole school community. Any concerns you may have must be made through our complaints procedure. In the event that any student or parent/carer of a child being educated at The Whitby High School is found to be posting defamatory, offensive or otherwise inappropriate comments on Facebook or other social network sites, they will be reported to the appropriate ‘report abuse’ section of the network site.

All social network sites have clear rules about the content, which can be posted on the site, and they provide robust mechanisms to report contact or activity that breaches this. The school will also expect that any parent/carer or student remove such comments immediately. In serious cases, where defamatory, offensive or otherwise inappropriate comments are made which cause damage to or put at risk students, staff or the school, the school will also consider its legal options to deal with any such misuse of social networking and other sites. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, is the issue of cyber bullying and the use by any member of the school community to publicly humiliate another by inappropriate social network entry. We will take and deal with this as a serious incident of school bullying and take whatever action necessary.