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Ask the Union

My head teacher has advised staff not to use social networking websites. She says it's not worth the risk of being targeted by 'cyberbullies', whether parents or pupils. Is this sensible advice or an over-reaction?

E-safety is a key issue for all schools, and teachers can find themselves the targets of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying also tends to attract press interest, which can turn what would otherwise be a local problem into a national one. Your head may be seeking to protect you from such incidents.

The NUT wouldn't go so far as to suggest that teachers should, for example, close down their Facebook page. However, there are certain precautions all teachers should take. Never 'befriend' pupils, and think carefully about the implications of befriending ex-pupils or parents of pupils. It's advisable to let your head teacher know if you wish to do so. Remember ex-pupils may still have siblings or other contacts at your school.

Never post information about yourself, or about school-related matters, that you wouldn't want your employer, colleagues, pupils or their parents to see. The same goes for photos. Always protect your pages using the security settings on your account.

When communicating with parents, use your school's email system, not your personal email address. Don't use your mobile phone to contact pupils or parents. If you're going on a school trip and need to be able to contact pupils and parents, use a school mobile.

Teachers also need to be careful about accessing personal email accounts via their school network. It may be possible for a subsequent computer user to gain access. Remember, too, that the school's internet protocol is likely to include agreement to monitoring.

The NUT believes all schools should have a policy on e-safety, setting out how staff and management should respond to cyberbullying. A designated member of senior management should manage the recording, investigation and resolution of incidents.

The NUT has produced guidance and a model policy E-Safety: Protecting School Staff, available at www.teachers.org.uk/node/12092. If an NUT member does become the target of cyberbullies, seek urgent advice from your local division/association or from your NUT regional/Wales office.

Last year the boiler in my primary school broke down during a cold snap, and staff weren't happy with how the situation was handled. Pupils and staff were in school for three days without heating and hot water, with temperatures as low as 12C in some classrooms. The head refused to close the school and instead urged staff and pupils to wear extra clothing.

We would like to be better prepared should the situation arise again this winter. What advice does the NUT give its members in these circumstances?

It's good to be prepared for such a situation, and to be aware that the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 state that classroom temperatures should be no lower than 18C.

To check temperatures you need thermometers. There is no legal requirement for a thermometer to be provided in every classroom, but the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require sufficient thermometers to be conveniently available to enable temperatures to be measured in any part of the workplace. If there are no thermometers in your school, or insufficient numbers, raise this with your head teacher or ask your NUT health and safety representative to do so.

Decisions about school closure should take account of a number of factors - how long the problem is likely to last, how cold the weather is, whether temporary heaters can be brought in quickly and operated safely, whether hygiene standards can be maintained with no hot water, as well as the need to give overnight notice to parents. In some cases, closure of part of the school may be an option if some classrooms are colder than others.

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