| NSW Department of Education
What is web filtering?
Web filtering software restricts access to websites in a network.
The Department uses web filtering on our network to help students and staff to stay safe online.
Web filtering in schools
The Department provides web filtering software based on a school’s Internet connection system.
There are two ways for schools to connect to the Internet:
1. Schools that are non-Internet at Edge (I@E) use Blue Coat
2. Schools that are I@E use Palo Alto
Blue Coat and Palo Alto classify websites according to subject matter and assign them filter
categories. Sometimes each web filter system can have websites assigned to different categories.
Students at different ages get access to different categories. Staff can access most categories that
students are unable to access. Learn more about the filtering categories and access (sign in) on
the department intranet.
Adding Web Filter Check to your
essentials
Check the category of specific URLs using the
Web filter check in the staff portal. Consider
adding it to
My essentials in the staff portal if you expect to use it often.
Add the Web filter check to ‘My essentials’ in the staff portal
1. Open the staff portal.
2. Select
My applications (from the menu on the left)
3. Enter
Web filter in the search field.
4. Click the
Show details button.
education.nsw.gov.au
5. Select the
Add to my essentials list button on the View bookmark pop-up.
Checking website accessibility
There is a two-step process to check if websites are accessible to students.
Step 1: Check what Internet connection system your school uses
NOTE: You do not have to perform this check every time. If your school is an I@E school, it wil
remain an I@E school. If not, it is likely it wil become an I@E school in the future and your school
wil be notified when this wil happen.
You have to be on school premises for this function to work.
1. Open the portal Web filter check.
2. Click the “Check My Internet connection system” button.
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3. Note the result.
Step 2: Check the website categories for specific URLs
1. Open the portal web filter check tool.
2. Copy and paste up to 50 full URL to check, for instance, National Geographic.
Note: each URL needs to be entered on a new line.
3. Click
Submit.
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Web filtering work around processes
4. The Web filter check wil display the category under which the website has been classified.
For instance, the National Geographic website is categorised under ‘Reference’. It also
shows that the website is allowed for all students and staff.
Request a block/unblock of a website
Request a website to be blocked or unblocked, click on the ‘Request to
Block/Unblock/Categorise a site’ under the results.
You can also log a request to block/unblock a site with EdConnect.
Using the matrix of filter categories
Staff can also use the matrix of filtering categories and access on the department’s intranet to
check the website permissions against its category.
For instance, for our National Geographic example, the permissions displayed for the
category Reference, show that the website is accessible to all students.
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Log an online EdConnect request
Log a web filtering issue by using the online EdConnect form.
Using the online EdConnect form:
1. Go to EdConnect.
2. Enter
Website Filtering in the search field.
3. Select from the options presented under Website Filtering, for instance,
Website filtering
query.
4. Click the
Next button.
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Web filtering work around processes
5. Enter the URL in the
Copy and paste the website URL field
6. Enter the reason for your query or request in the
Reason field.
7. Attach a screenshot of relevant information, wherever possible.
8. Click
Next and fol ow the prompts to submit the form.
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