School Photography Policy

LPS SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY POLICY

This policy applies to the use of photographs in school publicity printed materials including yearbook, newsletters and flyers, on digital media including school website, school social media feeds and school YouTube channel, and in the press. For the purposes of this Policy, the word “photograph” includes any kind of still or moving image with or without sound and whether stored/transmitted electronically or as hard copy.

Schools need and welcome positive publicity. Children’s photographs add color, life and interest to photographs of the school activities and initiatives. Making use of photographs in school publicity materials can increase pupil motivation and staff morale and help parents and the local community identify and celebrate the school’s achievements.

Leaders Preparatory School adopts the following guidelines when using photographs of children in school publicity materials, including use of images / names on the school website, newsletters, displays:

GUIDELINES FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS

Staff are permitted to take photographs to support educational aims e.g. for classroom displays or projects

Photographs should be stored securely and used only by those authorized to do so

Staff should ensure that image files are appropriately named and will not use students’ names in image file names

When taking photographs teachers should ensure that the students are appropriately dressed and are not participating in activities that might bring the individual or the school into disrepute

Digital photographs should not be manipulated or amended, for example, using a “cut & paste” facility. However, it is acceptable to crop an image.

Students must not take, use, share or publish images of others without consent

GUIDELINES FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS AT SCHOOL EVENTS

It is up to school management to decide if they are to allow videos or photographs to be taken by parents during school events such as Graduation or Award Ceremonies.

Parents are not required to comply with the Data Protection Act when taking photographs of their children, for their own private use, at an organized event.

GUIDELINES FOR PUBLISHING PHOTOGRAPHS

Parents may at any time withdraw their consent/ non-consent for the use of pupil images and digital recordings in school publicity printed materials, on the digital media and in the press. Any such request must be made in writing to the school Principal.

Photographs of pupils or staff should not be published on the school website after they leave the school, without their consent.

Except for the yearbook, no other publication will use personal details (including the name) of any child or adult in a photograph in association with the photograph (including in the accompanying text or the photograph caption) without explicit permission from the parent / guardian. Student’s name and grade will be stated in the school yearbook.

Where photographs are taken at an event attended by a large crowd e.g. during Iqra/International Day, this is regarded as a public area, so it is not necessary to get the permission of everyone in a crowd shot before publishing the image on the school website.

CONCERNS

If parents have any concerns about inappropriate or intrusive photography at a school event, they should report their concerns to the School Principal (or to a Staff member if the Principal is not present)

If a parent or child, wishes to have a photograph removed from the school website, prospectus etc. at any time, they should contact the school Principal.

When a press image has been captured the data controller for that image is the media concerned and not the school. Therefore, parents will need to make any objections to that organization and not the school.

PARENTAL CONSENT

Leaders Preparatory School respects the right of parents / guardians to withhold consent from their child’s / children’s photographs being used in school publicity materials. Should parents not want their child’s / children’s photographs used in the way described in this policy, they should sign and return the Withhold of Permission to Photograph Form. Otherwise it will be understood that the policy has been read and accepted and consent has been given. A class record of parental non-consent will be supplied to all class teachers.