Photography and Videoing
We love to celebrate with our families and at certain times of the year this is possible. This may include Collective Worships where we share the learning from the classroom, Nativities at Christmas, end of school performances in Year 6 and many other occasions.
We always insist that there is NO photography or filming during such events. We appreciate that these events are special, and you would like mementos, so we always provide an opportunity at the end for individual photos to be taken of children you have care for, for your own personal use.
We insist upon this for many reasons, not least that you can sit and enjoy the moment with your child! It also creates much less intrusion and distraction for the children 'on stage'. The staff and children always work so hard to prepare for such events.
There are also many more sensitive issues why we insist upon no photos during performances, which cannot be shared here. We are not being awkward or mean for the sake of it, we do this to protect ALL of our children.
Thank you so much in advance for your continued co-operation in this matter.
NSPCC Advice and Guidance
NSPCC Weblink on this matter,
Potential risks
Sharing photographs and images of children on social media or other online platforms carries potential risks (CEOP Education, 2021). For example:
- Photos or videos may appear in internet search results. This may make children vulnerable to grooming if a photograph is shared alongside information that makes them identifiable. This includes: personal details; a tag with location information; visual details such as a school uniform.
- Images of children may be shared online, and images may be copied, downloaded, screenshotted or shared by anyone.
- Images of children may be adapted and used inappropriately
- Depending on the terms and conditions of using an online platform, the image may be owned by the platform once it’s been posted. Platforms may then licence images for use by third parties – such as for commercial purposes.
- Each photo or video, and any comments on them, can become a part of a child’s public image in ways which young people may not be happy with, now or in the future.
Before sharing images of children on social media, you should also consider how widely images may be shared, how long they may remain available and how this may affect the children’s long-term wellbeing.
Advising parents or carers about sharing images of children on social media
Your photo and video policy statement should make it clear that parents or carers should gain permission before sharing photos or videos of other people's children on social media.
Consider asking parents not to share any photos or videos of events and activities on social media, where other people's children can be identified. Explain how sharing images in this way could place some children and families at risk.
Advise parents or carers who want to share photos or videos of their own children on social media to make sure they understand who else will be able to view images of their child.
Suggest that parents or carers use their privacy settings to make sure only people they trust can see their profile and photos, and that geo-location settings are not shared. Before posting a picture, parents or carers can also make sure there isn’t anything that would allow a location or identity to be recognised, such as school logos or signs, road names, or names of clubs that their child attends.
Encourage parents to ask for children’s permission before posting a photo or video of them online. With very young children and babies, this will not be possible, but parents and carers should consider the long-term implications of sharing an image before making it public.