Online safety

DfE RSE Statutory Guidance 2026

• "About risks of sextortion, how to identify online scams relating to sex, and how to seek support if they have been scammed or involved in sextortion" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 14 · KS3, KS4
• "About the benefits of limiting time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others' mental and physical wellbeing" Secondary Health: Wellbeing online, 1 · KS3, KS4
• "About the prevalence of deepfakes including videos and photos, how deepfakes can be used maliciously, the harms that can be caused by deepfakes and how to identify them" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 7 · KS3, KS4
• "How advertising and information is targeted at them and how to be a discerning consumer of information online, understanding the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation online" Secondary Health: Wellbeing online, 5 · KS3, KS4
• "How information and data is generated, collected, shared and used online" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 12 · KS3, KS4
• "How online relationships can complement and support meaningful in-person relationships, but also how they might be in tension, and the reasons why online relationships are unlikely to be a good substitute for high quality in-person relationships" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 2 · KS1, KS2
• "How to consider the impact of their online behaviour on others, and how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 4 · KS1, KS2
• "How to critically evaluate their online relationships and sources of information, including awareness of the risks associated with people they have never met" Relationships Education: Online safety and awareness, 2 · KS1, KS2
• "How to identify harmful behaviours online (including bullying, abuse or harassment) and how to report, or find support, if they have been affected by those behaviours" Secondary Health: Wellbeing online, 3 · KS3, KS4
• "How to report abuse, concerns about something seen online or experienced in real life, or feelings of being unsafe or feeling bad about any adult and the vocabulary and confidence needed to do so" Relationships Education: Being Safe, 6 · KS1, KS2
• "How to take a critical approach to what they see and read online and make responsible decisions about which content, including content on social media and apps, is appropriate for them" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 7 · KS1, KS2
• "How to understand the information they find online, including from search engines, and know how information is selected and targeted" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 9 · KS1, KS2
• "Not to provide material to others that they would not want to be distributed further and not to pass on personal material which is sent to them" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 4 · KS3, KS4
• "Online risks, including that any material provided online might be circulated, and that once a picture or words has been circulated there is no way of deleting it everywhere and no control over where it ends up" Relationships Education: Online safety and awareness, 5 · KS1, KS2
• "Online risks, including the importance of being cautious about sharing personal information online and of using privacy and location settings appropriately" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 2 · KS3, KS4
• "Rights, responsibilities and opportunities online, including that the same expectations of behaviour apply in all contexts, including online" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 1 · KS3, KS4
• "That abuse, bullying and harassment can take place online and that this can impact wellbeing. How to seek support from trusted adults" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 8 · KS1, KS2
• "That AI chatbots are an example of how AI is rapidly developing, and that these can pose risks by creating fake intimacy or offering harmful advice" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 15 · KS3, KS4
• "That for almost everyone the internet is an integral part of life. Pupils should be supported to think about positive and negative aspects of the internet" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 1 · KS1, KS2
• "That keeping or forwarding indecent or sexual images of someone under 18 is a crime, even if the photo is of themselves or someone who has consented, and even if the image was created by the child and/or using AI generated imagery" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 5 · KS3, KS4
• "That people should be respectful in online interactions, and that the same principles apply to online relationships as to face-to-face relationships, including where people are anonymous" Relationships Education: Online safety and awareness, 1 · KS1, KS2
• "That the internet contains a lot of content that can be inappropriate and upsetting for children, and where to go for advice and support when they feel worried or concerned about something they have seen online" Relationships Education: Online safety and awareness, 6 · KS1, KS2
• "That the internet contains inappropriate and upsetting content, some of which is illegal, including content that encourages misogyny, violence or use of weapons" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 8 · KS3, KS4
• "That there is a minimum age for joining social media sites (currently 13), which protects children from inappropriate content or unsafe contact" Relationships Education: Online safety and awareness, 3 · KS1, KS2
• "That they have rights in relation to sharing personal data, privacy and consent" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 10 · KS1, KS2
• "The benefits of limiting time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices and the impact of positive and negative content online on their own and others' mental and physical wellbeing" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 3 · KS1, KS2
• "The characteristics of social media, including that some accounts are fake, may post things which are not real or have been created with AI, and that users may present highly exaggerated or idealised profiles of themselves" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 3 · KS3, KS4
• "The concept of privacy and its implications for both children and adults; including that it is not always right to keep secrets if they relate to being safe" Relationships Education: Being Safe, 2 · KS1, KS2
• "The concepts and laws relating to harms which are exploitative, including sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation and abuse, grooming, and financial exploitation" Secondary RSE: Being Safe, 11 · KS3, KS4
• "The different types of bullying (including online bullying), the impact of bullying, responsibilities of bystanders (primarily reporting bullying to an adult), and how to get help" Relationships Education: Respectful kind relationships, 9 · KS1, KS2
• "The different types of bullying (including online bullying), the impact of bullying, the responsibilities of bystanders to report bullying and how and where to get help" Secondary RSE: Respectful relationships, 6 · KS3, KS4
• "The importance of exercising caution about sharing any information about themselves online, and understanding the importance of privacy and location settings to protect information online" Relationships Education: Online safety and awareness, 4 · KS1, KS2
• "The risks and signs that they may be at risk of grooming or exploitation, and how to seek help where there is a concern" Secondary Health: Personal safety, 6 · KS3, KS4
• "The risks relating to online gaming, video game monetisation, scams, fraud and other financial harms, and that gaming can become addictive" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 6 · KS1, KS2
• "The serious risks of viewing online content that promotes self-harm, suicide or violence, including how to safely report this material and how to access support after viewing it" Secondary Health: Wellbeing online, 7 · KS3, KS4
• "The similarities and differences between the online world and the physical world, including the impact of unhealthy or obsessive comparison with others online and how people may curate a specific image of their life online" Secondary Health: Wellbeing online, 2 · KS3, KS4
• "What sorts of boundaries are appropriate in friendships with peers and others (including online)" Relationships Education: Being Safe, 1 · KS1, KS2
• "What to do and how to report when they are concerned about material that has been circulated, including personal information, images or videos" Secondary RSE: Online safety and awareness, 6 · KS3, KS4
• "Where and how to report concerns and get support with issues online" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 11 · KS1, KS2
• "Why social media, some apps, computer games and online gaming, including gambling sites, are age restricted" Health Education: Wellbeing online, 5 · KS1, KS2

PSHE Association Programme of Study 2020

• "How different media portray idealised and artificial body shapes; how this influences body satisfaction and body image and how to critically appraise what they see and manage feelings about this" KS4 Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing, H3 · KS4
• "The characteristics of abusive behaviours, such as grooming, sexual harassment, sexual and emotional abuse, violence and exploitation; to recognise warning signs, including online; how to report abusive behaviours or access support" KS3 Core Theme 2: Relationships, R37 · KS3
• "The different types of intimacy — including online — and their potential emotional and physical consequences (both positive and negative)" KS4 Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing, H26 · KS4
• "The impact of sharing sexual images of others without consent" KS3 Core Theme 2: Relationships, R29 · KS3
• "The impact that media and social media can have on how people think about themselves and express themselves, including regarding body image, physical and mental health" KS3 Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing, H3 · KS3
• "The role peers can play in supporting one another to resist pressure and influence, challenge harmful social norms and access appropriate support" KS3 Core Theme 2: Relationships, R43 · KS3
• "To assess and manage risk and personal safety in a wide range of contexts, including online; about support in place to safeguard them" KS5 Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing, H14 · KS5
• "To manage personal safety in new relationships, including online activity or when meeting someone for the first time whom they met online" KS5 Core Theme 2: Relationships, R5 · KS5
• "To understand their rights in relation to harassment (including online) and stalking, how to respond and how to access support" KS5 Core Theme 2: Relationships, R22 · KS5