Cyber Governor programme
Schools need the expertise of cyber and tech professionals more than ever to ensure they are compliant, and to prioritise safeguarding the whole school community.
Cyber Governor Programme
Governors for Schools provides a Cyber Governor Programme to employers interested in having a positive impact in education. By connecting your people with school governance roles, we enable them to share their cyber skills, act as a champion for the sector, and deepen their expertise.
We have a long and successful history of working with employers to engage their employees in school governor roles. For nearly 25 years we have partnered with employers from various sectors to share industry skills. This connections are vital in supporting the education sector and improving school standards. Our Cyber Governor Programme aims to mobilise industry skills from the field of tech and cyber security to safeguard schools and protect their wider communities.
Our long term vision for the programme is to attract sponsorship. This is so anyone with cyber expertise is supported to join a school board as a Cyber Governor. If you are an employer who would like more information about how you can support this programme, or to arrange an informal chat, please email: [email protected]
What is a Cyber Governor?
The Cyber Governor role includes all the usual responsibilities of a school governor. It further has the added focus of providing strategic leadership to the school or trust on digital compliance as well as policies and procedures for their IT systems and data security.
This is an incredibly important role. The skills that cyber governors bring to a governing board are invaluable to school communities.
Why are Cyber Governors needed?
Schools rely heavily on IT and online services to function. In addition to this, they hold large amounts of sensitive personal data on pupils, parents and staff. It’s crucial that this data is kept safe. Schools are also obliged, through GDPR legislation, to ensure this data, and the devices they use are protected. Schools are further expected to adhere to cyber security standards set out by the Department for Education.
The evolving nature of cyber-attacks also puts schools at increasing risk. In recent years, there has been a rise in cyber incidents targeting educational institutions. Furthermore, schools often lack the expertise among staff to ensure they are meeting all their obligations. This is why the knowledge that Cyber Governors bring to the board is vital.
What does being a Cyber Governor through the Cyber Governor programme involve?
- Firstly, supporting a school’s Senior Leadership to improve their understanding of cyber security risks, and their obligations. This may involve speaking about GDPR.
- Secondly, making sure cyber security is embedded into the school’s long-term strategy. This is to ensure schools remain both safe and secure for pupils, staff, and other stakeholders alike.
- Thirdly, ensuring both the school leaders and the governing board are aware of cyber risks and are adequately prepared in the event of a cyber incident. Preparing for such events helps to make sure that damage is minimised and the school is able to deal with problems as they rise.
- Finally, sharing best practice with your employer network of cyber governors. Exchanging knowledge can be a great way to develop strategies focused around ensuring the school is kept safe from cyber attacks.
Resources
- Find out more about the responsibilities of schools in the Department for Education’s, ‘Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges’
- Learn about the GDPR obligations that schools have to legally follow.
- Find practical resources to help you work with your school to improve cyber security on the National Cyber Security Centre website: Cyber Security for Schools.
We work with a number of partners similarly committed to improving cybersecurity in schools. They offer free online training events specifically designed for school governors:
- Firstly, London Grid for Learning: Cyber Security Training for School Governors.
- Secondly, Eastern Regions Police Force: Cyber Security Awareness Sessions for School Governors.
Support our programme
Our long term vision is to attract sponsorship. This is so anyone with cyber expertise is supported to join a school board as a Cyber Governor.
If you are an employer who would like to more information about how you can support this programme, or to arrange an informal chat, please email [email protected]