DfE Introduces 12th Digital and Technology Standard: IT Support

The Department for Education (DfE) has recently added a 12th Digital and Technology Standard for schools and colleges to work towards: IT Support.

The DfE’s Digital and Technology Standards provide clear guidance to help schools and colleges make informed decisions about their educational technology. Previously consisting of 11 standards, the new addition highlights the critical role that high-quality IT support plays in delivering effective, safe, and future-ready digital infrastructure.

Why IT Support Is Now a DfE Standard

Schools and colleges require reliable and well-structured IT support to maintain their technology, plan improvements, and deliver on their long-term digital strategy.

By ensuring your IT support provision aligns with the new DfE standard, you can be confident that your school receives consistent, high-quality support, whether delivered in-house, externally, or through a hybrid model.

The IT Support Standard sets out the following requirements:

• Ensure IT support helps you meet all Digital and Technology Standards
• Ensure IT support actively maintains and improves your digital technology in line with your digital strategy
• Ensure IT support is responsive and meets agreed service expectations
• Review your IT support at least once a year
• Ensure staff receive clear guidance and training on using technology

How Tel Group Can Help You Meet IT Support Standards

At Tel Group, our strategic IT support packages are designed to help schools meet all 12 DfE Digital and Technology Standards, ensuring your systems, processes, and long-term planning are fully aligned with national expectations.

Meeting All 12 DfE Standards

Our DfE Standards Audit assesses your current provision and identifies the actions required to ensure full compliance with each standard. From here, we can implement the recommended improvements and upgrades to help you meet every requirement.

Although there are 12 standards in total, the DfE identifies 6 of these as ‘core standards’, with the expectation that all schools should be working towards meeting these by 2030. These core standards include:

• Broadband Internet
• Cyber Security
• Digital Leadership and Governance
• Filtering and Monitoring
• Network Switching
• Wireless Network