Teaching online safety in schools: tackling real risks to help pupils stay safe

From toxic algorithms to online misogyny, young people are facing growing dangers online - and teachers are on the front line. Oak’s new online safety lesson resources are here to help you meet that challenge, with confidence and clarity.

We know online safety isn’t easy to teach. It’s a sensitive topic. It changes fast. And it can be hard to know where to start.

That’s why Oak has created a full suite of expert-built resources - that reflect the latest RSHE guidance - to help you cover the complex, critical issues young people face today. From incel ideology to AI-generated content, these free resources are built to support teachers, not add to their workload.

Real risks, responsibly handled

These lesson resources don’t tiptoe around what’s happening. They give pupils the tools to understand - and safely question - the digital world around them. The resources cover:

• Incel ideology and misogyny
• Grooming and online manipulation
• How to report harmful content and block unfamiliar accounts
• Echo chambers and algorithm influence
• AI-generated content.

Every topic is broken down in a clear, age-appropriate and supportive way.

Built by experts. Ready for you

We’ve worked with leading curriculum partner Life Lessons to co-develop these resources, ensuring they reflect the new statutory guidance and the real-world challenges pupils face, and how schools (and Oak) can help navigate them.

All lesson resources are created by expert teachers - designed to be practical, manageable, and effective in the classroom.

Adaptable for your pupils, ready when you are

Teaching online safety should feel possible, not pressured, so these resources have been built to support your teaching:

• Slide decks, worksheets and quizzes to assess key learning points
• Teacher notes, key vocabulary and videos to support your planning, with tips and modelled explanations
• Lessons you can adapt, shorten or extend to suit your setting and your pupils.

Whether you’re planning now, looking ahead to the next term, or need something to use tomorrow, Oak’s online safety lesson resources are ready when you are. Save the units you want to return to - and pick them up in your library when the time’s right for your pupils.

You don’t have to tackle it all at once. Start where it works for you.

Supporting conversations that matter

This isn’t just about devices - it’s about behaviour, identity and what’s shaping young people’s views.

We’re hearing more from schools about a rise in misogyny and toxic behaviour. In fact, a 2025 Teacher Tapp survey found that 1 in 3 secondary teachers had seen misogynistic behaviour from pupils in the past week.

A recent YouGov poll for Oak found that 4 in 5 parents are worried about their child’s online safety - more than any other concern, including bullying, mental health or academic performance.

Endorsed by education and safeguarding leaders

Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies and Co-Chair of the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools, said: “These new resources from Oak National Academy are a vital addition to the toolkit for safeguarding children and young people online. In particular, their focus on countering online conspiracies equips educators with practical, age-appropriate lessons to address misinformation and digital manipulation - issues that are increasingly shaping the online experiences of students. I welcome their contribution to the Commission’s work and encourage their use across schools to strengthen digital resilience.”

Joe Ryrie, Co-Founder and Director of Smartphone Free Childhood, said: “Smartphones and social media are reshaping childhood at a pace that’s hard to keep up with. That’s why it’s so important that young people, parents and educators are equipped to understand the online world – and to talk about it openly. These excellent new resources from Oak give teachers detailed tools to start those conversations with confidence. It’s great to see them out in the world."

Baroness Anne Longfield, Founder of the Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England, said: “Parents are crying out for help against the rising tide of online addiction, misogyny and rage bait that grip many of their children's lives. Too many children spend their teenage years doomscrolling and alone, stuck inside a warped reality that negatively shapes their view of themselves, their peers, and the world. Schools have a vital role to play in encouraging critical thinking and promoting digital literacy among children so that they know how to enjoy the benefits of the online world while keeping safe and challenging harmful views. These timely resources from Oak National Academy will help schools to do that."

🔍 See the online safety units now and filter by key stage or year group

📁 Use your library to save and quickly re-visit your saved units, from any device.