We often hear from partner schools the question; ‘Why are some websites I want to use filtered?’ and here’s a simple explanation of how and why some websites appear to be filtered and what you can do if this effects you.

First of all let’s look at the filtering process.

Easynet is the ISP (internet service provider) who manage and deliver internet access to Northern Grid schools.

Sites that are identified as illegal are filtered before the internet connection reaches your school. This is non negotiable and Easynet, Northern Grid and your governing body could not condone such sites reaching your learners or teachers. Although this filtering process is very effective it is always possible that a new or unknown site could inadvertently be allowed through the connection and in these cases it is very important that Northern Grid are alerted immediately so the filtering can be adjusted accordingly.

In the majority of Northern Grid schools there is also...

As part of Northern Grid’s fully, accredited manage service, the Email provision delivered to users should provide the following as a minimum set of requirements to meet Accreditation standards.

• At least one mailbox per person within the end user organisation
• Mailbox size has to be a minimum of 20 MB
• Attachment size has to be a minimum of 5 MB
• Address Anonymity has to be available [e.g., full names and year details should NOT be used. Example: j.bloggs@school.org.uk is fine but joe.bloggs@year1.school.org.uk is unacceptable
• Incoming and Outgoing emails messages with inappropriate words in either the subject and the message body must be filtered
• Email Messages sent internally with inappropriate words in either the subject and the message body must be filtered
• The Inappropriate words list must have the capability of being updated as and when its required either centrally or locally
• Emails infected...

Northern Grid has produced this document to assist you in checking that your CachePilot is configured correctly. It contains a list of sites with instructions on how to test your configuration settings correctly and any actions that should be taken from performing these tests; in addition to these test instructions it also contains a list of FAQs to help answer any questions you may have about the CachePilot system.

Further information available in the document below.

For those that weren't at the Easynet, Northern Grid Technical Seminar on the 6th of July 2010, here are the presentations and documents from the event.

That may sound a rather strange question. After all, the internet is there, and young people use it every day.

But what we (the National Education Network and Lancaster University) want to know is, “How do young people and schools use the internet?” “Have they had any bad experiences?” “Do they understand about filtering and e Safety?” “And how do their views of digital technology relate to the views of their teachers?”.

We also want to know about their attitudes to social networking sites. Are they worried about what can happen through the use of these sites, or do they...

Northern Grid, Easynet and Equiinet have been working with partner Local Authoritiess to enable all CachePilots to be upgraded to 5.2.5 software code. Amongst other enhancements this code version enables easier integration with Active Directory and simplified Google Safe Search enablement.

Northern Grid, Easynet and Equiinet have visited each partner LA to run through the code version and offer advice on the GUI changes users will experience.

Northern Grid, Easynet, Equiinet and McAfee are also working on the deployment of the Next Generation filtering platform that will replace the current SmartFilter system. We are currently planning to start migration to this service during the summer term. In order to enable the migration of CachePilots from SmartFilter to McAfee...

An interesting article looking at the recent BBC article that stated that giving your students more freedom can help improve E-Safety. The article gives some first hand feedback of what happened in a school when the students were given more freedom within the area of E-Safety.

View full article

What are your thoughts on this issue? Is your school involving your students in...