9 replies to this topic

[DevonMaid]

Hi everyone
What do you do with regard to taking photos of children for their own learning journey that include their friends/peers? Do you obtain permission from all parents? I have never considered this - but, with Ofsted around the corner, know that I need to do something. Clearly, the learning journeys would look rather 'sad' if I only included photos of children in 'solitary' play!
Could anyone help with the 'wording' of a letter to send out to parents?
Thanks in advance!

[mrsbat]

We have included this on the permission form we get parents to sign on registration, it just states

"I give permission for my childs photograph to be taken for use in their own and in other children's learning stories"

We haven't had one person refuse to sign it. We were asked a couple of times why they would need to go in other people's books but as soon as we explained it would be pictures of them and the other child or group of children which would be used in the other books they were fine and said it's ridiculous that we have to ask!

[Inge]

it was part of our registration form permissions... as you say solitary pictures always look odd as they don't play by themselves all the time but blanking out faces , which I know some do , was to me a no go area, I wondered what it said to the child who I may have 'blanked out' and to their friend as well... I felt it was not good for any child to see themselves or a friend in that way.

It was something along the lines of
we like to take pictures to show your child's progress during their time with us. Very often your child may appear in pictures of groups of children which may also be used in other children's files. The pictures are only taken on the settings camera and will be downloaded onto our PC to enable us to print them. They will be taken by any member of staff but not visitors or guests or students... in this way they will remain in the setting in their digitalised form. They will be used for learning journeys, and display ( any other use was put in here ) When your child leaves the setting they will be removed from the computer. Only staff will have access to the PC .

Note that if we will be happy to not include your child in any pictures if you decide not to give permission.

We ask for your permission in using the photos in this way yes / no signature

I am sure it was worded better, but we included all the who will take, where, when, storage, access, how they will be used, when we destroy them/remove them..

When we had no pc at the setting it was noted that only manager would take the camera home and print off the relevant pictures, they would be stored on a cd and not on the computer and they would be secure when not in the setting... Cd destroyed when children leave..

and we did have some refuse so we deleted immediately any we noticed them in.. and they had usually not pictures in their books.. that said some did change their mind and allowed them to be taken but not in other children's books... they all had very good reasons for this

[sunnyday]

We also seek permission - the 'blanking out thing' is quite awful in my humble.......

Policy reads

Children will be photographed by pre-school staff
Photos will be used to:
Evidence children participating in the curriculum, added to children's Learning Journey folders.
For display purposes within the pre-school.
Where there is a group of children playing together, photos which may include your child will appear in other children's folders.
Photos are stored on a password protected computer, and will not be made available in digital form to anyone other than the child's parents.
Photos are deleted from computer when child leaves our setting.

Never experienced a 'refusal' yet....

[laura]

We ask parents permission for photos to be used, its in their contract along with the other usual stuff.

We recently had 2 new children join us (from different nurseries) and neither of their learning journey photos included other childrens photos, they had cut round the shape of the child or just took individual photos. Felt it was rather sad they weren't with their friends, espcially as we are busy taking photos of them with their friends for their end of year pictures.

[DevonMaid]

Although we have always had a permission form (local authority with school name added) it does not include on it permission for a child's photo to be used in their peers learning journeys when taken as part of a group. I too would not want to cut out the child's friends from a photo. Until now, I have always included these photos - without permission , so am hoping that I will get a positive reaction from my parents! That said, all have regular access to their child's learning journey and no one has ever commented on photos that include other children!
Thank you all for your comments and to Inge, whose 'wording' I have taken as a starting point! x

[lolo]

I got permission for photos with a variety of option to opt in or out of:
own learning journal
others LJ
display around setting
newsletters
my portfolio
assignments if I am studying
on trips to appear in venue publicity or in press - one boy I had, I had to ask at teh desk if anyone was taking photos as his mum unhappy for his photo to be public in this way

[nona]

Our local safeguarding board has this, which we are asked to use http://safeguardingchildren.dudley.gov.uk/...-professionals/

I have to say I'm very lucky to be in an authority that has a fab SCB with lots of downloads and advice available.

Hope it helps someone else.

Nona

[Cait]

Thanks Nona, there's some interesting stuff there

[lynned55]

I have a consent form, think I got it from here, that states what amd why we will perhaps use/take photos for. Only once did we have someone not sign and that was a foster parent, who wasn't allowed to legally.

As a parent myself I think it is wonderful to have these books with photos of friends in, wish I had had them for mine. My children are all grown now but although I have plenty of photos of them I dont have so many of their friends. My son has 2 framed photos that have pride of place on his bedroom wall. One is of him and a friend taken in 1992 (they were six) and standing with their arms around each others shoulders. Next to this is one taken 10 years later in the same pose when they were sixteen. This year they are 26 and he is sayin ghe wants to do the same again!! isn't that a lovely thing to have, I know they weren't at preschool, funnily enough they did go to the same one together but didn't have anything to do with each other, but by cutting out friends or others from the photos it is opportunities like this that would be missed.

Sorry waffle as usual But I am sure you understand what I am trying to say