Dear Parent and Carer,

Our school values the relationship that there is between home and school.

We take any parental concerns very seriously and are pleased that the vast majority are resolved by communicating with the school. We work with all agencies including the police, local authority and social care to ensure the safety and welfare of all of our children.

Recent social media posts lead me to write to all parents. Social Media sites such as Facebook, Tik Tok and Twitter have become a forum for some inaccurate and increasingly malicious communication. 

We would therefore like to remind you that using Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites is not the correct forum to raise any issues or concerns about the school, staff, other parents or students. Any negative remarks on these sites can be seen as defamation of character, harassment or slander. This means that you could be prosecuted by the police.

Current laws such as the 1988 Malicious Communications Act, 1997 Protection from Harassment Act and 2003 Communications Act can be used to protect individuals from malicious and threatening posts made on the internet. The victims might also choose to bring civil actions for defamation or slander. All necessary action will be taken to deal with any material posted on such sites that is in our opinion distressing, alarming or harassing or in any way breaches the rights of the members of our school community.

May we also take this opportunity to remind you that it is not acceptable to upload photographs or video clips of your child taken at school which include other children onto social networking sites without the permission of the parents. We all have a responsibility to safeguard children.

We hope that you understand and appreciate our position on such matters and that you will support us by removing any comments of this kind and follow the guidance we have set out. We are looking to maintain the strong relationship that we have with parents and wish to work with you on this issue.

Great things happen here every day; we must all work together with dignity, faith, renewed compassion and energy so that our children can achieve and succeed in the present and future on merit and in social justice.

Yours in education

Nicholas Lindsay
Director of Pastoral Care & Designated Safeguarding Lead