FLAWS in Devon's school web filter have been revealed after 11-year-olds were shown porn on a school projector.
Concern was raised by parents when two year 11 students, who were leaving their art lesson at Tiverton High School yesterday, decided to project the offensive image onto the boar
A teacher had left her laptop, which is linked directly to the projector, on in the room while she stepped out for a short time before returning with her next class of year 7 pupils.
The two male students have since been sanctioned after claiming the incident was a 'prank'.
The school relies on a regional internet filtering system known as South West Grid for Learning for blocking porn and other prohibited websites.
Headteacher, Andrew Lovett, said: "We take eSafety very seriously at Tiverton High School and indeed the recent OFSTED report stated that students are well informed about how to keep themselves safe online.
"Our welfare team is well trained in eSafety matters and are always on hand to help any students who feel they have been affected by any online issues."
He added: "We have robust safety-nets and filters on our school internet connections. South West Grid For Learning provide this system for all Devon schools and they continuously monitor and update their lists of sites and content for filtering.
"Unfortunately teenagers have always been experts at finding ways around barriers, both in the physical world and online, and regrettably instances of that can have serious repercussions, as in this instance."
He has also said that as soon as the teacher returned she removed the image and a senior teacher on IT and internet safety came and spoke to pupil's in the class.
He said: "In this day and age internet safety is a big issue. That teacher spoke to them about importance of reporting things that are inappropriate online. We also contacted all the parents and explained what had happened."
Mr Lovett confirmed that one parent, whose child was in exposed to the image, has chosen not to send them to school today.
He is yet to see the image as it has now been blocked by the filtering system but said that from what he has been told the image is not of the 'depraved' nature.
The two pupils have spent most of Friday working with the deputy headteacher, rather than being sent home and will be having restorative conversations with staff members, whose trust they breached. There parents have also been informed about the incident.
