Checklist · 23 points

Choosing a broadband provider: a checklist for schools

Work through it before you sign a contract: what you need, the standards and your safeguarding duties, resilience and support, the contract and price, and how you buy. Each point links to the guide that explains why it matters.

Know what you need

Before you talk to anyone, write down what you have and what you need.

List every site and building, your current lines and when each contract ends

DfE’s digital leadership standard asks for a contracts register — the broadband contract and its end date belong in it.

Read: The DfE digital and technology standards, explained
Check the speed the DfE standard sets for your type of school

Primary: at least 100 Mbps down and 30 Mbps up. Secondary and all-through: capacity for 1 Gbps both ways. Try the bandwidth estimator.

Read: The broadband internet standard: speeds, fibre and a backup line
Self-assess with DfE’s free “Plan technology for your school” service

It covers broadband, wifi and the network, and filtering and monitoring.

Read: The DfE digital and technology standards, explained
Audit every copper line before 31 January 2027

Alarms, lift lines, door entry, card machines and backup broadband can all be on copper. DfE has an audit template.

Read: The copper switch-off: what it means for schools

Standards & safeguarding

Check the offer against the standards and your safeguarding duties.

Is the line full fibre — a leased line or FTTP?

“Copper connections do not meet this standard” (DfE).

Read: The broadband internet standard: speeds, fibre and a backup line
If it isn’t fibre yet, can we switch to fibre when it becomes available?

DfE says new or extended non-fibre contracts should allow this.

Read: The broadband internet standard: speeds, fibre and a backup line
Is a firewall included, and who reviews its rules each term?

On site or as an edge service. DfE’s cyber standard asks for termly review with sign-off from the digital lead.

Read: Cyber security for school networks
Does filtering apply the IWF and CTIRU lists, with no way for anyone to override them?

The provider should be an IWF member and signed up to CTIRU.

Read: Filtering and monitoring: your duties under KCSIE 2026
Separate staff and pupil profiles, off-site devices, BYOD and guests covered, VPNs blocked, full logging

All from DfE’s filtering and monitoring standard.

Read: Filtering and monitoring: your duties under KCSIE 2026
Monitoring with weekly reports and immediate alerts for high-risk incidents

Also tell users monitoring is in place and complete a DPIA.

Read: Filtering and monitoring: your duties under KCSIE 2026
UK Safer Internet Centre self-certification published, and a pass on the SWGfL test

KCSIE 2026 points schools to both.

Read: Filtering and monitoring: your duties under KCSIE 2026

Resilience & support

What happens when something breaks — and how fast it gets fixed.

A backup connection of a different type, with automatic failover

DfE’s examples: leased line plus FTTP, or FTTP plus low Earth orbit satellite.

Read: Backup broadband: keeping the school online when a line fails
Battery backup or a UPS for the router and core switches

Fibre carries no power: in a power cut, voice and internet go unless there is backup power.

Read: Backup broadband: keeping the school online when a line fails
Availability and fix times written into the service level agreement

Wales sets 99.9% availability and restoration within 6 hours of a total failure. England sets no figure — so ask.

Read: Backup broadband: keeping the school online when a line fails
DDoS protection included, and DNS registered for the NCSC’s free PDNS for Schools

Read: Cyber security for school networks

Contract & price

Read the small print before you sign.

No data caps

The Welsh standard says to avoid data limits; PSBA has unlimited data as standard.

Read: Questions to ask a broadband or filtering supplier
What happens to alarm, lift and phone lines at the switch-off?

ATA ports on fibre routers aren’t suitable for alarms or other machine-to-machine services (DfE).

Read: The copper switch-off: what it means for schools
Any extra services in your current contract (firewall, DDoS protection, filtering) are matched

The Welsh standard asks schools to check this before switching.

Read: School broadband in Wales: Hwb standards and PSBA

How you buy

Follow the right route for your school or trust.

England: use a DfE-approved buying option through Get help buying for schools

Ask which framework the supplier is on, and check when it expires.

Read: How to buy broadband for a school in England
Remember CCS is now the Government Commercial Agency (GCA)

Existing CCS frameworks and call-offs remain valid.

Read: How to buy broadband for a school in England
Wales: leaving PSBA needs a business case, and the Welsh Government told through your local authority first

Read: School broadband in Wales: Hwb standards and PSBA
Scotland: talk to your council (many use SWAN). Northern Ireland: talk to the EA about C2k

DE NI has asked schools with non-C2k broadband to review it.

Read: School broadband in Northern Ireland: C2k and the Education Authority
Add the new contract and its end date to your contracts register

Read: The DfE digital and technology standards, explained

From the “choosing a provider” checklist at broadbandforschools.co.uk/choosing-a-provider/ — general information only; check current DfE guidance and your own procurement rules. Checked 25 October 2026.