Code Hamsters (Simple Platform Work Limited)
Version 1.0, approved 13 October 2026 by Mathew Long, Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). Next review: October 2027, or sooner after any incident or change in the law or guidance.
1. Our approach
Photographs and short videos are a good way to celebrate what children build. They can also put a child at risk if they are taken, kept or shared carelessly, and for some children it is essential that their image is never published. So we only take or use an image of a child with written consent, we take as few as we need, and we keep control of where they go.
2. Consent
- We ask parents and carers for consent on our registration form when they book. Each use is a separate choice, and saying no to any of them makes no difference to a child’s place.
- No consent means no photographs. We do not assume it.
- We also ask the child. If a child does not want to be photographed, we do not photograph them, whatever the form says.
- Consent can be changed or withdrawn at any time by emailing matt@codehamsters.com. We will stop using the images, remove them from anything we control, and delete them.
- We ask parents and carers to confirm their choices whenever registration details are checked.
- We keep a record of each consent: who gave it, when, how, and what it covers. If we want to use an image in a new way, we ask again.
- The tutor has a list of which children can and cannot be photographed at every session.
3. Taking photographs and video
- Only a Code Hamsters tutor takes photographs or video, and only for the uses in section 5.
- Images are taken on a Code Hamsters device, never on a tutor’s personal phone, and are never saved to a personal account or personal cloud storage.
- We photograph the activity: hands on a keyboard, a robot, a screen of code, a group at work.
- Children are fully and appropriately dressed, and we avoid close-up portraits of a single child.
- We never take images in toilets or changing areas, or of a child who is upset, hurt or in trouble.
- A tutor is never alone with one child to take photographs.
- We check that nothing in the background shows another child, a name, a register or a screen with personal information.
- We do not live-stream sessions.
4. Storing images
- Images are moved to our secure business storage as soon as possible, and always within 48 hours, and then deleted from the device they were taken on.
- They are kept in a folder that only Code Hamsters staff who need them can open.
- Files are not named with a child’s name.
- Images are never stored on personal devices, personal cloud accounts or USB sticks.
- We review stored images at least once a year and delete those we no longer need. Images of a child are deleted when consent is withdrawn.
5. Sharing images
We only use an image for a purpose the parent or carer has agreed to on the form:
- sharing with that child’s own parents or carers, to show what their child has made
- our website and printed materials
- our social media accounts
Whenever we publish an image:
- we never give a child’s full name, and we do not put any name next to an image without specific consent
- we never give details that could identify where a child lives or which school they attend
- we do not tag children or their families
- we never sell images or pass them to anyone else for their own use
Once an image is online we cannot fully control it. If consent is withdrawn we remove it from everything we control straight away, but we cannot recall copies that others have saved or printed materials already given out.
6. Children who must not be photographed
Some children must never appear in a published image, for example because of a court order or because they are in care or have been adopted. Please tell us on the registration form or speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead. You do not need to tell us why. We will make sure the tutor knows.
7. Parents, carers and children taking photographs
- Parents and carers may photograph their own child at the start or end of a session or at a showcase, but must not photograph other children or share images that include them.
- Children do not use their own phones or devices to take photographs or recordings at sessions.
- Venue staff, visitors and press may only photograph children with our agreement in advance and the consent of each child’s parent or carer.
8. Concerns
If you are worried about an image, or about anyone photographing children, tell the tutor or the Designated Safeguarding Lead. Anyone taking images of children in a way that causes concern is dealt with under our safeguarding and child protection policy. See also our online safety policy and our privacy policy.
This policy follows the Department for Education’s guidance on taking and using photos and videos, as good practice.