Cyber Security: Planning For ‘When’ Not ‘If’ – How Resilient Is Your School’s Cyber Response Plan?

In today’s connected world, cyber security is no longer just an IT issue – it is central to safeguarding pupils, staff, data, and school reputation. This webinar equips senior leaders with the insight to plan for when cyber incidents occur, rather than if, helping schools respond swiftly and confidently.

We will explore ransomware and targeted attacks, where schools are increasingly targeted due to the value of their data and operational vulnerabilities. For girls’ schools, risks also include online safeguarding challenges, such as image-based abuse, impersonation, harassment, and misuse of social platforms. These factors underscore the need for coordinated pastoral, safeguarding, and IT responses.

The session will cover emerging trends, including AI and machine learning in cyber security – both as defensive tools and as new sources of risk – and their impact on incident preparedness and response.

A key focus is cyber-literate governance. Inspectors now assess how effectively schools manage digital risk and integrate safeguarding with cyber governance. Governors do not need formal cyber qualifications but must ensure policies, reporting, and oversight are robust.

We will introduce our Cyber Gap Analysis – a structured assessment that identifies vulnerabilities, benchmarks security maturity, and provides a clear, prioritised roadmap to strengthen resilience.

By the end of this session, attendees will understand how to be prepared for cyber incidents, protect their school community, and ensure IT is a strategic asset supporting safety, compliance, and learning outcomes.