Best Practice Update

DfE Digital Standards guidance for Wi-Fi networks, highlighting new Wi-Fi 7 and Wi

Wireless Network Standards for Schools & Colleges: What's New?

The DfE Wireless Networks is part of the DfE Digital Standards guidance and has recently been updated to include references to Wi-Fi7. You must check with this standard before you plan any Wi-Fi upgrades!

What's New?

There is a now clear guidance that specifies that any new wireless solution or upgrade must, at a minimum, meet the Wi-Fi 8 standard.

What is Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 7 provides significantly higher throughput and lower latency. In a classroom where 30 students might si

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Redaction guide for PEX panels, illustrating how schools manage sensitive information for permanent exclusion

Navigating the Redaction Divide: SAR or PEX?

Schools are increasingly required to manage sensitive information in ways that balance transparency, fairness, and data protection. One area that frequently creates confusion is the difference between redaction undertaken for a Subject Access Request (SAR) and redaction applied when preparing documentation for a Permanent Exclusion (PEX) Review Panel. The Redaction Guide for PEX Panels has been introduced to address this issue and provide clear, practical guidance for staff.

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  1. Sharing photos on World Book Day: Privacy considerations
  2. Make sure DPE is your registered DPO with the ICO
  3. Supplier Due Diligence Step by Step: Are you sharing personal data with a third party organisation?
  4. Time to kick-start your Clear Desk and Screen policy?
  5. The DSL’s Guide to Filtering and Monitoring
  6. Are Governors the Frontline of Cyber Security? (February 12th is Governors Awareness Day)
  7. DPE Webinar Schedule
  8. The Danger of the 'Data Dump': Why more information isn't always better!
  9. Introducing our new Recording and Transcription Policy
  10. Parents and students covertly recording conversations
  11. New DfE AI Standards
  12. Shareable Snippet: Office Security Best Practices for the Holidays
  13. CCTV Policy update: retention
  14. Shareable Snippet: Confidential waste
  15. Sharing information to safeguard children and young people in the education sector in the UK
  16. Fraud awareness from the DfE
  17. Complaints vs. Data Rights: A Guide
  18. Data Breach: School sends out names and contact details in a spreadsheet.
  19. September 2025 Policy and Document Updates
  20. KCSIE 2025: Data Protection, AI, and Cyber Security
  21. The Online SCR Data Breach: What You Need to Know
  22. Back to School Basics for Data Protection and Cyber Security Compliance
  23. Building a Secure School: Using the ICO Accountability Framework to Meet DfE Digital Standards
  24. Why Physical and Data Security Must Go Hand-In-Hand
  25. Digital Safeguarding: DfE announces statutory DfE Digital Standards
  26. Safeguarding Smiles & Social Media!
  27. The Data Protection Lead/Champion Role
  28. Changes to the Academy Trust Handbook 2025
  29. Social Media Day 2025
  30. How Ofsted looks at AI during inspection and regulation
  31. Preschool Employment tribunal for the use of WhatsApp
  32. Data Breaches 2025 Report Highlights
  33. Not everyone needs access: The Key to Protecting Sensitive Data
  34. West Lothian Schools in Cyber Attack
  35. National Honesty Day: Transparency
  36. FOI Request - BBC News
  37. Social Media and Marketing Guidelines and Training
  38. New Governor Resources
  39. Does stress lead to more data breaches?
  40. Are teachers using AI? 83% say its a time-saver
  41. DfE Digital Standards - narrowing the digital divide
  42. Arbor AI - On By Default
  43. DfE Guidance: Choosing a new MIS
  44. HCRG Care Group data breach
  45. The Importance of AI literacy and training staff
  46. How to verify visitors the right way
  47. Short Guide to AI Video
  48. Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection
  49. The Cyber Resilience Championship
  50. The Multiple Dimensions of Supplier Due Diligence
  51. School shares sensitive pupil information as part of an FOI response
  52. AI (Artificial Intelligence) Best Practice Area & Policy
  53. Blacon High School Cyber Attack
  54. WhatsApp and FOI's: ICO Warnings
  55. New AI Guidance from the DfE
  56. What the proposed Government legislative proposal around cyber crime means
  57. ICO report on AI tools in recruitment
  58. DfE update to record keeping and management
  59. Update to data sharing for school immunisation programmes
  60. Early Years Settings and Cyber Security
  61. SLT Digital Lead Profile
  62. The role of governors in cyber security and data protection
  63. Navigating Privacy at the End of Term , Special Occasions and End of Year
  64. Contracts Register
  65. DfE Digital Standards Autumn Update
  66. The importance of knowing how to access your CCTV footage!
  67. Cyber Attack on a Special School
  68. Stealing children's data
  69. What is dark data? (and why does it matter?)
  70. Ofqual highlights the value of cyber security training in schools
  71. Searching for data when you receive a Subject Access Request
  72. Fylde Coast Academy Trust Cyber Attack This Week
  73. Calling all IT leads in schools and mult academy trusts!
  74. Ransomware cyber attack on a school in Bromley
  75. Join Our Social Media Family!
  76. School hit by Cyber Attack
  77. Cyber Security Best Practice Area
  78. DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
  79. New Policies, Documents, Letters and Posters page
  80. Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
  81. The DPE Retention Schedule
  82. Making the Rounds Update (now includes reporting)
  83. ESFA Cyber Essentials Requirement for Colleges from 2024/2025
  84. ICO Reprimands a School
  85. Out of date technology
  86. Data Retention and the Pupil File
  87. Have you assigned your SLT Digital Lead yet?
  88. Getting Started with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  89. Cyber attack on a school during half term
  90. The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
  91. ICO: Learning from the mistakes of others report
  92. Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
  93. School Focus: The Vale Federation | Aylesbury
  94. DfE Dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) Guidance
  95. Update to the Guidance on Information Sharing from the DfE
  96. FOI Requests generated by Artificial Intelligence
  97. Social Media Best Practice Area
  98. Lettings Best Practice Area
  99. MFA Bombing - What is it?
  100. Protecting your Social Media Accounts
  101. Checklists - Are They Your Most Powerful Compliance Tool?
  102. Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
  103. Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
  104. Product Focus on Checklists : Information and Cyber Security
  105. Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
  106. Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
  107. Product Focus on Checklists : Record of Processing
  108. Milk Island: The secret location that allows children to view restricted content on Google Maps
  109. Why Data Should Stay Put: Benefits of Keeping Data in Its Original System
  110. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Retention and Destruction
  111. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Migration
  112. Product Focus on Checklists : Biometrics
  113. Product Focus on Checklists : Supplier Due Diligence
  114. Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
  115. The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
  116. Product Focus on Checklists : FOI
  117. Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
  118. Product Focus on Checklists : DPIA
  119. Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
  120. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Breaches
  121. Product Focus on Checklists : Subject Access Requests
  122. Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
  123. Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
  124. Cyber Attack on a School
  125. Product Focus on Checklists : Redaction
  126. Why Due Diligence is Important: Fake apps
  127. Product Focus on Checklists : CCTV
  128. Product Focus on Checklists : Clear desk
  129. Product Focus on Checklists : Commitment to compliance
  130. Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
  131. Product Focus on Checklists : Passwords
  132. Product Focus on Checklists : Information Classification
  133. Free cyber training for staff
  134. DfE Digital Standards Update
  135. The Mother of all Breaches
  136. International Data Transfers (part 1): Navigating Cross-Border Data Transfers: Understanding EU SCCs, UK Addendum, and UK IDTA
  137. ClassCharts Possible Data Breach
  138. Where is your data stored?
  139. IAPP looks at AI privacy risks
  140. If you suspect a financial scam .....
  141. School Focus: St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | Brighton
  142. Guardians of Privacy: 16. Social Media Checklist
  143. Guardians of Privacy: 15. Navigating Social Media in Educational Settings Summary
  144. Guardians of Privacy: 14. Social Media and Cyber Bullying
  145. Guardians of Privacy: 13. Social Media, Copyright and Intellectual Property
  146. Guardians of Privacy: 12. Social Media and Going Viral
  147. Guardians of Privacy: 11. Staff Social Media Accounts
  148. Guardians of Privacy: 10. Social Media and Cookies
  149. Guardians of Privacy: 9. Social Media and Morality
  150. New Resources for Schools from the ICO
  151. Guardians of Privacy: 8. Social Media Policies
  152. Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
  153. Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
  154. Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
  155. Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
  156. Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
  157. Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
  158. Guardians of Privacy: 1. Social media, privacy and children
  159. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  160. Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
  161. Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
  162. Children's Privacy around the world is a puzzle
  163. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  164. Records Management Best Practice Update
  165. What do I need to redact?
  166. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  167. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  168. Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
  169. Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
  170. Public bodies and sensitive data
  171. Get a DPE Badge for your website!
  172. ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
  173. Help after a Cyber Attack/Incident
  174. Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
  175. How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy
  176. Handling Freedom of Information Requests the right way
  177. Where's Harry the Hacker?
  178. The ICO Reprimands a school
  179. Redaction Guidelines Updated
  180. Using WhatsApp in Schools
  181. How to contact us for support, subject access requests, data breaches and FOI's
  182. FOI: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
  183. FOI: Henry Jackson Society
  184. FOI: Vaccination Justifications
  185. How the Record of Processing Can Help You
  186. What does a Data Protection Officer Do?
  187. Carrying out Supplier Due Diligence
  188. How Long Should You Keep Personal Data For?
  189. B&H FoI: Racist/religious incidents/bullying
  190. Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
  191. Class Dojo International Data Sharing
  192. Model Publication Scheme: Amendments, Improvements and Updates
  193. Transparency
  194. Research projects and GDPR
  195. Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
  196. Emergency contacts and consent
  197. Key elements of a successful DPIA
  198. FOI Publication Schemes
  199. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  200. New Drip Feeds: Recognise and Respond to Subject Access Request
  201. When to contact the Data Protection Officer?
  202. National child measurement programme
  203. Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation
  204. Acceptable Use Policy

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