01 April 2025

The UK Government’s Department for Education (DfE) has announced a significant investment of £45 million aimed at improving internet connectivity and ensuring that all schools across the country meet essential digital standards. This initiative includes fibre broadband upgrades for 833 schools, with the intent to help bridge the existing digital divide.

As part of this initiative, the government will launch a public consultation, open for eight weeks, to gather feedback on a long-term goal for all schools and colleges to comply with six core digital standards by 2030. These standards emphasize the fundamentals of effective technology infrastructure and include areas such as broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership and governance, filtering and monitoring, and cybersecurity.

To support schools in achieving these standards, the government is dedicating £45 million to enhance educational infrastructure, which prominently includes £25 million allocated for upgrading wireless networks this year. This investment aims to ensure that classrooms are equipped with reliable online access and to uplift standards in areas where it is most needed. This latest funding phase is part of an ongoing programme that has already improved connectivity for more than 1.3 million pupils across 3,700 schools, alongside a previous investment of £20 million to complete fibre upgrades for the targeted 833 schools.

A case in point of how the investment from the ‘Connect the Classroom’ scheme is making an impact can be seen at South Wirral High School. Prior to the installation, the school’s Wi-Fi was unreliable, adversely affecting teaching and learning. Following the upgrade in January 2024, the school now boasts dependable Wi-Fi coverage throughout, allowing staff to access resources and plan lessons from anywhere on the premises.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized the government’s commitment to modernizing the education system through a digital revolution in classrooms, highlighting the importance of equitable access to technological advancements: “I won’t tolerate a system where some children benefit from innovation whilst others are left disconnected.”