School Photos policy query

[vintageteacups]

Hi - can anyone tell me if they ever tick all the no boxes on school photography/video policy because of the forces security issue?

I have a form to fill out for DD's new middle school and tbh, it's a bit wishy washy what it covers/includes/doesn't include.

I'm always wary of the security issue and we never put pictures of the DCs online anywhere or publish their names/address etc.

I feel a bit mean putting no but it seems a lot broader at middle school than the odd photo thing at primary.

I've said no to the media bit as they would include picture + name and surname.

The other choices are photos taken at school events (by other parents) and in school and then the other one is on the school website/publishing names in newsletters etc.

So do any of you ever put no to all photography/videos or am I being over cautious?

I think you're right to take this seriously - once information is "out there" it's very hard to get it back.

I'm not fussed about unnamed photos, but very concerned about publishing names. If it's in a password protected Parents area, it's OK as that cannot be found via google. I would definitely find out exactly what is published and where, and would use the veto if I wasn't happy.

Actually, for wider child protection issues, it seems to be dawning in schools that publishing any child's full name is a bad idea, so I've found them quite sympathetic.

At least with Forces-related security concerns, you have a reason that people do grasp is important. It must be much harder for people with other reasons (eg escaping DV) which they may not want to become general knowledge.

And it's generally much harder reining in other parents (eg publishing with names on Facebook) who just have no awareness. I keep plugging away where I can on this, in the hope of creating a norm whereby no-one would dream of publishing names on line without specific consent.

Vintage, I ticked no but then put you can publish picture with only first name on the forms for boarding school as they said this is what most forces families do. The thing is DD then went and got an award for hockey that meant her full name was posted in the school year book along with a photo which had no names under it but with a magnifying glass you could have read the inscription on the plate she was holding and worked out who was who.

In the states when DS was given an award for his music it made a page 2 spread in the local rag and they even put "X son of a british military officer X on exchange with the US army " we said about the fact that it was a clear security breach and they didn't understand at all. I was fuming, as it then went on to name all our DCs and their school and put my name as their mother. But that is yanks for you!!!

I ticked all the security boxes when enrolling children at our local primary. However, I was informed that they cannot prevent other parents taking pictures, nor can they prevent those parents putting pics on facebook and tagging them. All the school can do is remind parents to be aware of the issue when putting pictures online.

However, the school has agreed to not publish any pictures of my children in any literature/internet etc.

I never say no, have never even thought twice about it tbh, I guess I think in a village its easy enough for anyone to work out who my kids are, their names etc

OP and others - do you say no because there is a genuine risk to your children's personal safety if they are seen on the Internet? From kidnap, harm etc?

"do you say no because there is a genuine risk to your children's personal safety if they are seen on the Internet?"

Yes.

Yes - dh has been briefed many times about not putting any pics of the kids anywhere online because of the security risk; why identify the kids if we don't need to kind of thing.

We don't put family pics on facebook or anywhere and no pictures of dh.

Yes.