Dear Dan

Information Request: FR1606

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request dated 25/11/2009. Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act and is detailed below in italics with our response.

Your original request is detailed below in italics.

I would like the figures for both

primary schools and secondary schools:

1) Does the County Council offer internet censoring software to

schools in Northamptonshire?

All schools in Northamptonshire connected to East Midlands Broadband Consortium (embc) network have internet filtering as part of their connectivity.  This is a Becta accredited service for education.

2) If yes, what is the name of the software and how many schools

use it?

Netsweeper as above

3) How many schools have decided to use their own internet

censorship software?

Schools may also purchase additional filtering which is used alongside embc filtering, often for a better fit with the school's own technical infrastructure. This is under the control and remit of the head teacher in each school. We do not have figures for which schools run their own filters but 2 secondary schools and 2 academies do not use embc, and this has been the decision of the head teacher/principal.

4) Have any schools opted not to censor/filter their internet

access at all? How many have made this decision?

All schools are required to have appropriate Internet filtering, and advice is provided to schools on appropriate settings and use of the local level filtering. In Northamptonshire all schools have been advised of the head teacher/governor's role and responsibility in ensuring safe and secure access to the internet.

5) How many incidents have there been in which pupils/students at

primary and secondary schools have managed to breach the internet

filters and view inappropriate (violent/pornographic etc.) material

in the past five years? Pleae could you provide me with the dates

and details of these breaches.

There were no access breaches to illegal sites as the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) lists are used.. 

The Internet filtering is provided through the Netsweeper content filtering and access management solution. The managed service provided by Synetrix and embc is Becta accredited for education. The solution offered to schools allows them to adopt local filtering policies to better meet the needs of their staff and children. Schools are able to access sites within centrally blocked categories where they have made a local decision to allow access to meet educational and management needs.

The disclosure to you of the enclosed information does not give you a right to reproduce or publish such information without the express permission of the County Council or any other owners of the copyright therein.

If you are unhappy with the response, you can ask the Council to review it. To do this please write to the address below:

Paul Edwards

Head of Business Intelligence and Performance

Northamptonshire County Council

PO Box 93

County Hall

Northampton NN1 1AN

If our internal review does not resolve the issue to your complete satisfaction, you have the right to apply to the information Commissioner for a decision at the following address:

Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Or, if you have any complaints in respect of your information request please complete the on-line comments form that can be found at www.northamptonshire.gov.uk, along with a full set of guidance.

Yours sincerely

Gillian Hollowell

Senior Freedom of Information/Data Protection Officer
Legal & Democratic Services

Northamptonshire County Council

Please ask for: Gill Hollowell

Tel: 01603 237407

Our ref: FR1606

Your ref:

Date: 3 December 2009

Northamptonshire County Council

County Hall

PO Box 136

Northampton, NN1 1AT

w. www.northamptonshire.gov.uk

t. 01604 237407

f. 01604 237004

e. [email address]