Best Practice Update

Meeting DfE Digital standards in schools and colleges in orange and white text. Children in the background smiling or working. Children in a small circle graphic on laptops.  Data Protection Education logo in blue on an orange background

DfE Digital Standards Update

The DfE have recently published an update to their meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges, with three new sections:
Digital Accessibility Standards
Digital Leadership and Governance Standards
Laptop, desktop and tablet standards

What does this mean for schools?

The set of standards is about how schools and colleges can meet IT service and digital equipment standards.  They should be used as guidelinses to support your organisation to use the right digital infrastructure and technology.  The service and standards will be added to.

Who in the organisation is responsible?

The standards are to be used by everyone involved in the planning and use of technology within schools and colleges, including:

  • senior leadership teams
  • IT staff
  • suppliers
  • technical advisers
  • teachers

Why should a school or college use the standards?

The standards can help your school or college with:

  • budgeting for technology procurement and maintenance
  • buying technology equipment and services
  • renewing a contract with a technology provider to ensure their purchases meet your needs
  • correctly installing new equipment

Where do I start? 

We would advise first identifying those responsible in your organisation and then review the standards: DfE Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges.

What if my IT is outsourced?

If your IT is outsourced, then it is your responsiblity to start a conversation with them about meeting the standards.  Ask your provider about how they are meeting the standard or what their plans are to help you meet the standard.  Remember that a lot of the standards rely on other standards in the document, so they may be best advised on where to start.

Contact your data protection advisor for further help and advice where the standards advise on data protection regulations.
If you need data protection support for your organisation, contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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