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

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 simultaneously stream high-definition educational videos or engage in augmented reality (AR) lessons, Wi-Fi 7 ensures the connection remains stable and fast.

What is the DfE Wireless Network Standard?

Icon representing the DfE Digital Core Standards for Cyber Security updates in Schools and Colleges. The Wireless Network Standard is part of the set of DfE Digital Standards and one of the main core six which the DfE require schools to be meeting by 2030.

The core sections are:

🛜Wireless Standard

  • A high performance solution is needed to make sure that the speed of the connection does not slow down as more devices connect to the wireless network.

🛜Wireless Signal

  • A good wireless connection relies on signal strength. It's important to make sure there is strong signal coverage in all areas of your school or college where mobile devices are to be used.

🛜Central Management

  • A wireless network will be made up of many wireless access points. A central management solution will allow your support team to monitor and configure your network and identify and resolve issues.

🛜Security Features

  • Your school or college IT networks should prevent access by unauthorised users while providing access to regular and guest users.

Wireless Checklist:

Feature Standard Requirement
Minimum Standard Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Authentication WPA3 / Certificate-based / MFA for admins
Coverage 100% of learning and admin areas (verified by heat maps)
Management Centralized, manufacturer-approved management tool
Resilience Manufacturer warranty and 24/7 support arrangements

When do I need do this?

Whenever you upgrade or change your current Wireless Network, review the latest guidance in the DfE Wireless Network Standards to ensure you are meeting the standard. 

You should upgrade or change your network if it is no longer meeting your device requirements.

DPE Tracker Update

  • Replaced Wi-Fi 6 with Wi-Fi 7 reference and question.
  • Added clear statement about the DfE Cyber Security Standards being one of the six core standards.
  • Additional links to the Cyber Security Standard as a dependency.

Where do I start?

If you're unclear about where to start with this, we would advise initially assigning an SLT digital lead in your organisation and work from there. The responsibility of meeting the standard lies with the school, it is up to you to ask your IT provider if you are meeting the standard and how to meet the standard.  The DfE Digital Standards are a series of standards in document form that help you work towards being cyber resilient in all aspects of the organisation.

Making the Rounds: we will ask some of these questions when we come and visit your school or trust as part of our Making the Rounds or data walk.  We will then provide feedback via a report.

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

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.

Leavers' memorabilia display with custom hoodies, yearbooks, and other personalized keepsake items
Best Practice Updates

We're already seeing the leavers' hoodies when we're visiting schools and our help desk has received tickets asking about year book administration, so here's some best practice about 'Leaver's Memorabilia'.

Students and teachers sharing World Book Day photos, reminding schools about data protection best practices.
Best Practice Updates

📸✅ It's World Book Day on the 5th March when most schools will be celebrating reading and capturing photos of staff and students in their costumes.   Given this is one of many significant photographic events in the calendar, we thought it was a good opportunity to remind everyone of photo and video best practice so there are no data protection slip ups.

  1. The Danger of the 'Data Dump': Why more information isn't always better!
  2. Cyber Alert: Surrey and Sussex Schools Targeted by Phishing and Ransomware Attacks
  3. Parents and students covertly recording conversations
  4. New DfE AI Standards
  5. Is your IT Support Provider Compliant?
  6. The Government Cyber Action Plan
  7. School Cyber Attack: Higham Lane School Hit by Major Cyber Attack: Campus Remains Closed
  8. What does the technology in schools survey tell us?
  9. IT Support Standards for Schools and Colleges Guidance (DfE Digital Standards)
  10. Sharing information to safeguard children and young people in the education sector in the UK
  11. October 31. On the road to improving cyber resilience
  12. October 30. Cyber Support
  13. October 29. Admin Controls & Accounts
  14. October 28. Phishing: Don't Take the Bait!
  15. October 27. Passwords
  16. October 26. Physical Security of Digital Assets
  17. October 25. Server Security: Protecting Your Digital Core
  18. October 24. Backups: Your Recovery Safety Net
  19. October 23. Filtering and Monitoring
  20. October 22. Hardware: Printers
  21. October 21. Hardware: Asset Management
  22. October 20. Hardware: Safe disposal
  23. October 19. Anti-virus/anti-malware
  24. October 18. Regular Updates: Patching Against Threats
  25. October 17. Access Control: Managing User Privileges
  26. October 16. Access Control: Securing Your Digital Gateways (Wi-Fi & Networks)
  27. October 15. Access Control: Securing Your Home Office (Working From Home)
  28. October 14. Access Control : (Multi-factor authentication)
  29. We've teamed up on a podcast with the Small Business Cyber Security Guy
  30. October 13. Cyber Security Awareness
  31. October 12. Training: Empowering your human firewall
  32. October 11. Policies and Procedures: Cyber Blueprint
  33. October 10. Understanding Your Cyber Posture
  34. Time's Ticking: Windows 10 support ends in October 2025!
  35. October 9. A Guide for Education Providers
  36. October 8. How Can Your Organisation Prevent Ransomware Attacks?
  37. October 7: Under Attack: The Reality of Ransomware
  38. October 6: Cyber Action Plan and A Roadmap to Resilience
  39. October 5: Cyber Responsibilities - We're All in This Together
  40. October 4: When a Cyber Attack Hits
  41. October 3: Data Security, the Core of Protection
  42. October 2: Privacy Protection & Safeguarding Personal Data
  43. October 1: Welcome to Cyber Security Awareness Month!
  44. Nursery Cyber attack
  45. Fraud awareness from the DfE
  46. The Classroom's Dark Side: Cyber crime from the Classroom
  47. Data Breach: School sends out names and contact details in a spreadsheet.
  48. KCSIE 2025: Data Protection, AI, and Cyber Security
  49. The Online SCR Data Breach: What You Need to Know
  50. Back to School Basics for Data Protection and Cyber Security Compliance
  51. The Latest Cyber Threat: The "Murky Panda"
  52. Building a Secure School: Using the ICO Accountability Framework to Meet DfE Digital Standards
  53. Why Physical and Data Security Must Go Hand-In-Hand
  54. Digital Safeguarding: DfE announces statutory DfE Digital Standards
  55. The Data Protection Lead/Champion Role
  56. Changes to the Academy Trust Handbook 2025
  57. School closes for two days after cyber incident
  58. Social Media Day 2025
  59. How Ofsted looks at AI during inspection and regulation
  60. Data Breaches 2025 Report Highlights
  61. Not everyone needs access: The Key to Protecting Sensitive Data
  62. School cyber attack: Outwood Academy, Middlesbrough
  63. Alert: Schools receiving Microsoft File Sharing Phishing Emails
  64. School cyber attack: Framlingham College, Suffolk
  65. West Lothian Schools in Cyber Attack
  66. A Wake-Up Call for Cyber Vigilance - Danger in the Threat Landscape for Everyone
  67. New Governor Resources
  68. Are teachers using AI? 83% say its a time-saver
  69. DfE Digital Standards - narrowing the digital divide
  70. Arbor AI - On By Default
  71. DfE Guidance: Choosing a new MIS
  72. Short Guide to AI Video
  73. Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection
  74. The Cyber Resilience Championship
  75. The Multiple Dimensions of Supplier Due Diligence
  76. School shares sensitive pupil information as part of an FOI response
  77. Blacon High School Cyber Attack
  78. WhatsApp and FOI's: ICO Warnings
  79. New AI Guidance from the DfE
  80. What the proposed Government legislative proposal around cyber crime means
  81. DfE update to record keeping and management
  82. Update to data sharing for school immunisation programmes
  83. SLT Digital Lead Profile
  84. The role of governors in cyber security and data protection
  85. Navigating Privacy at the End of Term , Special Occasions and End of Year
  86. South East Technological University has experienced a cyber incident
  87. Safeguarding Identity in Microsoft 365: Protecting the UK Education Sector Against Cyber Threats
  88. Cyber Attack on a Special School
  89. Stealing children's data
  90. Ofqual highlights the value of cyber security training in schools
  91. Fylde Coast Academy Trust Cyber Attack This Week
  92. Calling all IT leads in schools and mult academy trusts!
  93. Ransomware cyber attack on a school in Bromley
  94. School hit by Cyber Attack
  95. DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
  96. Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
  97. ESFA Cyber Essentials Requirement for Colleges from 2024/2025
  98. ICO Reprimands a School
  99. Out of date technology
  100. Data Retention and the Pupil File
  101. Have you assigned your SLT Digital Lead yet?
  102. What's a Cyber Incident and what should we do?
  103. Getting Started with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  104. Cyber attack on a school during half term
  105. The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
  106. Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
  107. School Focus: The Vale Federation | Aylesbury
  108. DfE Dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) Guidance
  109. Update to the Guidance on Information Sharing from the DfE
  110. Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
  111. Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
  112. Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
  113. Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
  114. Milk Island: The secret location that allows children to view restricted content on Google Maps
  115. Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
  116. The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
  117. Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
  118. Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
  119. Cyber attack on a University
  120. Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
  121. Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
  122. Cyber Attack on a School
  123. Major cyber-criminal gang Lockbit brought down by UK Law Enforcement
  124. Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
  125. Safer Internet Day 2024
  126. Kent Councils Data Breach
  127. Free cyber training for staff
  128. DfE Digital Standards Update
  129. ClassCharts Possible Data Breach
  130. School Focus: St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | Brighton
  131. Guardians of Privacy: 16. Social Media Checklist
  132. Guardians of Privacy: 15. Navigating Social Media in Educational Settings Summary
  133. Guardians of Privacy: 14. Social Media and Cyber Bullying
  134. Guardians of Privacy: 13. Social Media, Copyright and Intellectual Property
  135. Guardians of Privacy: 12. Social Media and Going Viral
  136. Guardians of Privacy: 11. Staff Social Media Accounts
  137. Guardians of Privacy: 10. Social Media and Cookies
  138. Guardians of Privacy: 9. Social Media and Morality
  139. New Resources for Schools from the ICO
  140. Guardians of Privacy: 8. Social Media Policies
  141. Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
  142. Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
  143. Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
  144. Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
  145. Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
  146. Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
  147. Phishing attacks targeting schools - alert from City of London Police
  148. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  149. Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
  150. Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
  151. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  152. Update on Advisory for Rhysida Ransomware
  153. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  154. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  155. Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
  156. The UK Online Safety Bill becomes an Act (Law)
  157. Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
  158. The importance of software updates (PaperCut vulnerability and Rhysida ransomware)
  159. Public bodies and sensitive data
  160. ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
  161. Email and Security: ICO recent guidance
  162. Social Media Policy
  163. Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
  164. Changes to Microsoft Free Licensing for Schools
  165. What to do in the event of a Cyber Attack
  166. How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy
  167. VICE SOCIETY - Ransomware attacks on schools
  168. Using Tags if you are a group of organisations in the DPE Knowledge Bank
  169. Cyber Insurance in the Public Sector
  170. Cyber Attack: Leytonstone School
  171. The ICO Reprimands a school
  172. Cyber Attack: Dorchester School
  173. Knowledge Bank Role Types: Admin, Staff and Trustee
  174. Cyber Attack: Wiltshire School
  175. Types of Cyber Attacks: The Insider Threat
  176. Why your data is profitable to cyber criminals
  177. Striking Data Breach
  178. January Cyber update - How Can Schools Help Prevent Cyber Attacks?
  179. FOI: Vaccination Justifications
  180. The Education sector now at highest risk of cyber attacks
  181. Schools Blocked from Using Facial Recognition Systems
  182. The Children's Code
  183. Cyber Attacks
  184. Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
  185. Class Dojo International Data Sharing
  186. Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
  187. Emergency contacts and consent
  188. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  189. Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation

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