Subject Leader: Mrs Postance
1. Our Online Safety Curriculum
At Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge CE Primary, we believe that teaching children how to stay safe online is just as important as teaching them to read and write. In today’s ever-changing digital world, our children are growing up surrounded by technology, so it’s vital they learn how to use it safely and responsibly. We use the Project Evolve curriculum to help children understand topics like online friendships, privacy, cyberbullying, and how to spot misinformation. Lessons are fun, interactive, and age-appropriate, helping children build confidence and resilience online. Our Christian values of respect, compassion, trust, perseverance and responsibility are at the heart of everything we teach, encouraging children to be kind and thoughtful digital citizens. We also run Safer Internet Day, parent information sessions, and share weekly ‘Wake Up Wednesday’ tips to keep families informed. Our Safety Crew and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors help lead the way, making sure everyone feels safe and supported in our school community.
2. Subject Vision and Intent
Online safety is an essential subject in our curriculum, designed to equip children with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to navigate an ever-increasing digital world with confidence and care. Through the Project Evolve curriculum, pupils engage in age-appropriate, progressive learning that addresses key aspects of digital life, including online relationships, self-image, privacy, and managing online information. This learning reflects our school vision and Christian ethos, promoting respect, compassion, and responsibility in all interactions—both online and offline. As children move through the school, they develop critical thinking, digital resilience, and an understanding of their rights and responsibilities in the digital space. Online safety education supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, encouraging them to act with integrity, challenge harmful behaviours, and contribute positively to their communities. By embedding these principles, we prepare our pupils to thrive in a connected world, ensuring they leave primary school as safe, respectful, and informed digital citizens.
3. Implementation — How the Curriculum Is Delivered
Our online safety curriculum is delivered through the Project Evolve framework, which is carefully designed and sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge, understanding, and digital resilience over time. Each year group revisits key themes—such as online relationships, self-image, privacy, and managing online information—at an age-appropriate level, ensuring a spiral curriculum that deepens learning and reinforces safe online behaviours. Teachers adapt lessons to meet the needs of all learners, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, by using differentiated resources, visual supports, and scaffolded discussions to ensure full access and engagement. Staff receive regular CPD and training to keep their subject knowledge current, particularly in response to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. To extend learning beyond the classroom, we engage families through weekly ‘Wake Up Wednesday’ resources, which offer practical advice and tips for parents to support their children’s online safety at home. We also host parent information sessions and provide families with regular updates, strengthening the partnership between school and home. Enrichment opportunities such as Safer Internet Day and themed assemblies, help pupils connect their learning to real-life contexts. Our strong links with the local community and church partnerships further support the curriculum, reinforcing shared values of respect, compassion, and responsibility in both physical and digital spaces.
4. Inclusion and SEND
The Project Evolve curriculum is designed to be inclusive and ambitious for all pupils, ensuring that every child can access and engage with vital online safety learning. Lessons are carefully adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and other additional needs through the use of visual supports, simplified language, scaffolded discussions, and small group or one-to-one support where needed. Teachers use ongoing assessment to identify starting points and tailor learning so that all pupils can make meaningful progress and experience success. The curriculum promotes wellbeing, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging by empowering children to understand their digital world, make safe choices, and feel secure in their online interactions. By fostering a respectful and inclusive digital culture, online safety education helps all pupils develop the self-esteem, resilience, compassion and social awareness they need to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
5. Personal Development and Cultural Capital
Online safety education, delivered through the Project Evolve curriculum, plays a key role in pupils’ personal development and cultural capital, helping them grow into responsible, confident, and ethical digital citizens. In an increasingly digital world, this subject nurtures resilience, independence, and critical thinking, empowering children to make informed choices and respond appropriately to online challenges. Through discussions and scenarios, pupils explore moral, cultural, and global issues such as digital rights, misinformation, cyberbullying, and online identity, encouraging empathy, respect, and social responsibility. Collaborative activities promote teamwork and communication, while reflective tasks build self-awareness and character. Our Safety Crew and Anti-Bullying pupil groups play a vital role in reinforcing these messages, leading assemblies, supporting peers, and helping to embed a culture of kindness, respect, and online responsibility across the school. By equipping pupils with the tools to navigate the digital landscape safely and thoughtfully, online safety prepares them for the wider world, ensuring they can flourish both online and offline with confidence and integrity.
6. Impact — Monitoring, Evidence and Outcomes
The impact of our online safety curriculum, delivered through Project Evolve, is carefully monitored through a range of strategies including lesson observations, pupil voice, and staff feedback. These approaches help us evaluate the quality of teaching and ensure that learning is consistent, relevant, and responsive to the needs of all pupils. Evidence from pupil discussions and classroom activities shows that children are developing a strong understanding of how to stay safe online and can confidently recall key knowledge over time. Pupils regularly express enjoyment and engagement with the subject, particularly during interactive sessions and themed events like Safer Internet Day. Recent developments include the involvement of pupil-led groups such as the Safety Crew and Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, who help reinforce key messages across the school. Our next steps include further embedding assessment for learning within online safety lessons and expanding opportunities for parental engagement, ensuring a consistent message about digital safety is shared between school and home.
7. Subject Leadership and Development
As subject leader for online safety, I lead and support staff in delivering this vital area of the curriculum with confidence and consistency. I provide access to high-quality resources through the Project Evolve platform, offer regular CPD sessions, and share updates on emerging digital trends and risks to ensure staff knowledge remains current. Good practice is shared through staff meetings and collaborative discussions, helping to embed a whole-school approach to online safety. I also work closely with pastoral staff and other Designated Safeguarding leads to ensure our approach is responsive to pupil needs and aligned with our School Development Plan, particularly in promoting pupil wellbeing, digital resilience, and safeguarding. My leadership ensures that online safety is not only taught explicitly but also reinforced through wider school initiatives, including parent engagement, pupil leadership groups, the PSHE curriculum and themed events, all contributing to our collective goal of preparing children to thrive safely in a digital world.