Each February, Safer Internet Day reminds schools of the importance of digital safety – a vital reminder for all. Many schools will hold assemblies, set classroom activities and lead discussions that highlight online risks and responsible behaviour. However, each year it strikes me more that whilst this annual event raises awareness, online safety and cyber security cannot be a once-a-year conversation. Instead it should be an ‘every day’, with embedded awareness and associated actions.

For primary schools, where some children are taking their first steps into the digital world, internet safety must be woven into daily practice. The risks – exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, scams and misinformation – persist long after any posters are taken down. Schools must embed a culture of ongoing digital safety education, supported by robust policies, technology and staff training.

This is all the more important as almost all children have access to a device outside of school. Many ‘own’ (bought by parents) their own smartphone, tablets, computers or gaming consoles – and often more than one. Parental oversight varies widely: some children have actively engaged parents monitoring their online activities, others are left to navigate the digital world alone. This may well be because parents are working, unaware of the dangers or simply apathetic. The overall responsibility often falls to education. Schools cannot assume online safety education happens at home—they must take the lead.

England’s computing curriculum is outdated – woefully so. Nations like Estonia integrate digital literacy and agency from a young age. Yet our system lags behind, failed by decades of government. Meanwhile, 70% of five-year-olds in the UK have access to a smartphone, yet formal digital education is virtually absent in early years settings. Without structured guidance, children are expected to learn digital responsibility through trial and error. This is a risky approach in an increasingly complex online world, and a world that is only becoming increasingly digital at an advanced pace. Despite all this, many schools lack the infrastructure, funding and training to deliver effective online safety education. Most have limited budgets for cyber security measures, staff training is inconsistent, and some schools still struggle with basic digital resources. Without significant investment, we risk failing an entire generation of digital learners (or another generation?).

Students must develop critical thinking skills to navigate misinformation, evaluate online sources and understand their digital footprint which all help to build their digital agency. Discussions about fact-checking, privacy settings and online behaviour should be built into the curriculum, not just computing lessons. This means integrating, for example, online safety into subjects like English (evaluating sources) and History (identifying bias).

Cyber security skills, such as creating strong passwords, recognising scams and phishing emails and managing data privacy, must be part of everyday learning. These lessons should extend beyond students – staff also need training to model safe digital behaviours and protect school systems. Schools can use resources like the BBC Teach Online Safety and Safer Internet Day teaching resources and hold regular training sessions to keep staff updated on the latest threats. Time is needed to do this though – another key negative issue caused by our dated, crammed national curriculum.

While digital literacy is essential, strong technical safeguards are equally important. Schools must invest in content filtering, monitoring systems and cyber security tools, reviewing them regularly to adapt to emerging threats. This requires dedicated funding and expertise that many are unable to fund, unaware of, or both.

It's equally important that online safety cannot be left to schools alone. Parents and carers need ongoing guidance, workshops and recommended resources to help reinforce safe online behaviour at home. Schools can (and many do) also host parent evenings dedicated to online safety, providing practical tips and answering questions.

To embed daily practice, school leaders must:

• Audit online safety policies – Are they relevant, implemented and clearly understood by all stakeholders?
• Deliver ongoing digital safety education – Move beyond one-off assemblies and embed online safety discussions into PSHE, computing and cross-curricular learning;
• Invest in staff training – Ensure all staff are equipped to teach and model online safety, especially as they use and adapt software, hardware and AI for their own use;
• Leverage trusted resources;
• Engage parents – Provide regular updates, run workshops and share strategies.

A year-round commitment to digital safety

Safer Internet Day is a fantastic opportunity to start conversations and raise awareness, but true impact comes from sustained action. The wider – and significant – systemic barriers holding schools back cannot be ignored. Without a modernised curriculum, proper funding and funded teacher training, schools are being asked to tackle an ever-growing issue with outdated resources.