Taking photos & videos at school events - what's the etiquette?

[Tootytata]

My son (4) had sports day today. The teachers didn't specify that parents weren't allowed to take photos / videos. Other parents freely took their phones out to photograph or film during the event. I'm new to all of this (being parent to a pre-schooler) - what is the etiquette?

I did take some photos since everybody else was but wasn't sure whether other parents would be offended by this

[Newname908]

I take as many photos as I like but if I am putting any on social media I replace the faces with emojis. School are ok with this.

[RiftGibbon]

Check school policy. Our school has a 'no photo' policy because of some children at risk.

[ThereIsIron]

There is no etiquette. Either the school allows photos to be taken or they don't. Our school allows photos, but asks that they are not posted on social media.

[mindutopia]

I think usually it’s fine as long as you don’t share photos with any other children on social media. If it isn’t fine, the school usually will make it clear.

My dc’s nursery has a strict no photos policy (but they take photos and share them securely with parents). Eldest’s school is fine with photos but they’re not to be shared on social media. Usually it’s made pretty clear with any announcement at every event.

[Aragog]

Different schools have different rules.

At sports day and similar events we just ask that people don't put photographs on social media without the permission of the parents.

We don't allow photographs and videos at the plays/shows as it means people standing up and blocking others views. A member of staff takes photographs instead and these are available to view on password protected sites and could be downloaded bu parents, again with the proviso not to share online without permission from other parents.

[PotteringAlong]

If the school didn’t say you can’t then crack on!

[elliollie]

This annoyed me this week. We were very clearly told that there were children who absolutely not allowed to be photographed but that we could take photos of our own child on the proviso that no photographs appeared on social media. By lunchtime, numerous parents had put photo after photo on Facebook with lots of children clearly visible in the background.
This is the reason schools have outright bans because some people are arrogant enough to believe the rules don't apply to them. Not only that, they could be potentially putting any number of children at risk and they clearly don't care

[Tootytata]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I see the reason for the ban in some schools now.

Most parents had their phones out taking photographs yesterday and the teachers didn't say anything so I assume it's allowed. I'm not on social media (deleted Facebook, never used twitter, don't know what Instagram is!) so I wouldn't put any photos on social media anyway.

I might ask the teacher next time I speak to her about the official rules for the school.

[Pinkmalinky]

It’s fine as long as you don’t post photos of other people’s children on SM. The head teacher has to specify this at the beginning of every school event.