Whilst we continue to be unable to meet face to face, the use of apps such as Zoom / Teams / Google is increasing, along with a rise in the risks associated with this form of communication.

It doesn't matter what you are using there are still some who are determined to exploit others, be it for malicious intent or fun.  Zoom bombings are becoming a trend, often involving people sharing indecent images, sometimes of children, in live meetings, or annotating of the screen with racist words. 

The following will hopefully help you avoid some of the traps set by these hackers:

• Don't publicise your meeting's link on social media
• Avoid sharing personal information
• Ensure mute is on for all participants - this can be enforced by the presenter.
• Ensure that only the host has the opportunity to share their screen.   With Teams you can set who is able to present in Meeting Options (More help on this can be found here)
• Turn off the ability for anyone to annotate slides - this can be done in the settings.
• If presenting to a large audience nominate a member of staff to monitor the chat.
• Remove anyone who is being offensive from the meeting
• It's advisable to set a password for the meeting - this will help protect the meeting. Zoom should now have this set to default.
• If you record the meeting avoid using the chat room, in case participants share personal information
• Use the waiting room setting - this allows you to only admit those that you've invited
• with Zoom, if necessary, you can lock the door when the meeting has started, but be aware of anyone who has dropped out of the room as they may need to be let back in!

Remember the default settings for most apps is to have everything turned on - you have to go in and turn options off.

Advice for Meetings with Students

Below are some things to consider when delivering virtual lessons /video conferencing, especially where webcams or phones are involved:

• Staff must only use apps agreed by the school to communicate with pupils, and it is the responsibility of the teachers to gate keep and check content and comments.
• When using Zoom, 2 staff should be present/ logged into the call at all times.
• Suitable clothing should be worn by the teacher and other adults
• Language and behaviour must be professional and appropriate.
• Staff should record the length, time, date and attendance of any sessions held.
• Staff should ensure they are working from a suitable area in school / home when accessing virtual calls or meetings.
• Staff should ensure that once all children are within the meeting, the meeting will be locked so that no other members can join.
• Staff should remove any participants who are not following these guidelines.
• The meeting should be ended if the member of staff witnesses or hears anything of concern. The details will be passed to the DSL.