Safer Internet Day
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Every slide pairs one online safety habit with a quick check, so students leave with practical rules rather than vague warnings. The richest discussion tends to come from reporting, passwords and what is safe to share
How do you stay safe online?
Note: Opening with a word cloud brings out the safety habits students already use and gives the class shared vocabulary to build on before any tips appear.
Stretch: Students pick one word from the cloud and explain which specific risk it protects against.
Device-free: Students jot three habits on mini-whiteboards and hold them up, and repeated ideas are grouped on the board.
Check: This is the Safer Internet Day 2024 film. Safer Internet Day 2027 is on 9 February 2027 (UK theme "Reflect on tech: exploring digital wellbeing and our relationship with technology"); swap in the new film from saferinternet.org.uk once it is released.
Note: The UK Safer Internet Centre's film for Key Stages 3 and 4 places the lesson's advice in situations young people actually meet online.
Stretch: Students choose one situation from the film and explain what a safer choice would have looked like, and why.
Device-free: Pause at key moments for a quick pair chat on what the person should do next.
PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION
Keep personal information such as your full name, address, phone number, and school name private. Only share this information with trusted individuals.
Note: Details such as an address or school name are what make unwanted contact possible, which is why this rule comes first.
Stretch: Students list three details that seem harmless in separate posts but together could reveal where someone lives, and explain how.
Device-free: Pairs check whether their own usernames or bios give away more than they should.
Report Cyberbullying
If you are a victim of cyberbullying or witness it happening to someone else, report it to a trusted adult, at school at at home, or report it to the police if you feel threatened, unsafe or in danger!
Note: Reporting gives students a clear route to follow when something goes wrong, whether they are the target or a bystander.
Stretch: Students argue whether a bystander who stays silent shares any responsibility, backing the view with an example.
Device-free: A show of hands on who students would tell first, followed by a short discussion of why trusted adults differ.
Support: Childline (childline.org.uk, 0800 1111), CEOP (ceop.police.uk) for grooming or sexual abuse, and Report Harmful Content (reportharmfulcontent.com) for harmful content that platforms do not remove.
How do you know when something online
should be reported to your school or someone at home?
Rather than listing rules, students weigh up warning signs and decide where the line falls between awkward and harmful.
Stretch: Students compare two warning signs and justify which one needs reporting first.
Device-free: Each student writes one warning sign on a mini-whiteboard, and the class decides together which ones need telling someone straight away.
Think Before You Post
Be mindful of what you share online. Once you post something, it's difficult to erase.
Consider the potential consequences of your posts on your reputation and future opportunities.
A post can be screenshotted, shared and found years later, so this slide links everyday posting habits to long-term reputation.
Stretch: Students consider how a college or employer might judge a post made at 14, and justify whether that is fair.
Device-free: Quick chat: would students be happy for a grandparent or future employer to see their last post?
Use Strong and Unique Passwords
Create strong passwords using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols
Use different passwords for different accounts to prevent unauthorised access.
A reused password means one leak can unlock every account, which is the key idea to land before the ranking task.
Stretch: Students explain why the National Cyber Security Centre recommends three random words over a short, complicated password.
Device-free: Students write a password pattern, never a real password, on mini-whiteboards for the class to judge.
Rank the passwords from strongest to weakest..
Ranking the four passwords makes students judge what actually adds strength (length, variety and unpredictability) instead of applying one rule.
Stretch: Students create a memorable passphrase that would beat the strongest example and explain why.
Device-free: Write the four passwords on the board and have students order them on mini-whiteboards before the reveal.
Verify Online Friends
Be cautious when making online friends, especially if you haven't met them in person.
Don't share personal information or agree to meet someone from the internet without involving a trusted adult.
People online are not always who they claim to be, so this slide sets the habit of checking before trusting.
Stretch: Students name the signs that a new online contact might be fake and justify which is the most telling.
Device-free: Pairs talk through what they would do if someone met only online asked to meet up.
Be Cautious with Links and Downloads
Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from untrusted source.
Be especially cautious of email attachments or links from unknown senders.
Phishing links and fake downloads are a common route to malware and stolen accounts, and the advice applies to texts and DMs as much as to email.
Stretch: Students explain how scam messages use urgency to rush people into clicking, and why it works.
Device-free: Read out three message openings and students show thumbs up or down for "safe to click".
Keep Software Updated
Regularly update your devices and software to protect yourself from potential security weaknesses.
Use antivirus and anti-malware software to protect against threats.
Updates close security gaps that attackers already know about, so putting them off leaves a device exposed.
Stretch: Students explain why an old phone that no longer receives updates is a bigger risk than a newer one.
Device-free: A show of hands on who has an update waiting right now, then a quick discussion of why people delay them.
Practice Digital Etiquette
Be polite and respectful when communicating online, including in emails, chats, and comments.
Think before you type, and remember that words can have a lasting impact.
Tone is easily misread without face-to-face cues, which is why respectful messaging counts as a safety habit and not just good manners.
Stretch: Students rewrite a blunt comment of their own so it makes the same point respectfully, and explain each change.
Device-free: Quick chat on a time a message was misread and what caused it.
Internet Etiquette
Key safety practices for teens
Set privacy settings to private: Having a private account gives you more control over who can follow you and see your content.
Think before you post: Take a moment to consider the potential impact of a post. If you're unsure or nervous about it, you probably shouldn't post it.
Be cautious of strangers: Only accept friend requests from people you know in real life. Never agree to meet up with someone you've only met online.
Talk to a trusted adult: If anything online feels uncomfortable or wrong, tell a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult.
Limit social comparison: Avoid excessive social comparison, especially related to appearance, as this can negatively impact mental health.
Filling the gaps checks that students have taken in the lesson's key phrases and can read the advice in context.
Stretch: Students pick one rule from the passage and describe a real situation where following it would have changed the outcome.
Device-free: Read the passage aloud, pausing at each gap, while students write the missing words on mini-whiteboards.
The closing message ties every tip to one idea: protecting themselves now and their future selves later.
Stretch: Students choose the one habit they will change this week and justify why it matters most to them.
Device-free: A quick round of the room, one habit per student, with no repeats.
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