The Digital Proficiency Course
Building Digital Resilience and Confidence to Stay Safer Online
The Digital Proficiency Course will be live for a limited time from 5th February for Safer Internet Day 2026, and we want you to be a part of it!
The Digital Proficiency Course
The Five C’s of Online Risk
The Digital Proficiency Course, developed by the Online Safety professionals at INEQE Safeguarding Group, offers an accessible way for the entire school community—pupils, parents/carers, and professionals—to build the knowledge and confidence needed to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
Delivered exclusively via the Safer Schools NI Mobile and Web App, these short, video-based courses guide users through key aspects of online life using relatable examples. Learning is certified via a Class Quiz (for young children) or an independent test (for everyone else).
Topics are based on the five C’s of online risk:
Cyber Security
Content
Contact
Conduct
Commerce
and include subjects like age restrictions, grooming, online bullying, and Artificial Intelligence.
Certification And Insights
All participants will receive a certificate on successful completion. By participating, your community demonstrates the start of a digital proficiency journey, providing you with data and insights into the current online safety knowledge and capability in your school.
This crucial information allows you to inform and tailor your online safety curriculum, ensuring the lessons you teach are relevant and make a real impact by focusing on areas where support is most needed. This innovative initiative equips all learners with the awareness and practical skills required for today’s fast-changing digital landscape.
Certification and Insights
All participants will receive a certificate on successful completion. By participating, your community demonstrates the start of a digital proficiency journey, providing you with data and insights into the current online safety knowledge and capability in your school.
This crucial information allows you to inform and tailor your online safety curriculum, ensuring the lessons you teach are relevant and make a real impact by focusing on areas where support is most needed. This innovative initiative equips all learners with the awareness and practical skills required for today’s fast-changing digital landscape.
Certified Safer Schools
If a school demonstrates a whole school commitment to take part, including professionals, parents and carers and pupils, they’ll receive a digital badge and certification as Certified Safer School, upon review of their account.
Images shown are for illustrative purposes only and may not reflect the final design.
What Is Covered?
Courses will be available for all groups across the school community with carefully curated topics, examples, and language used to ensure learning is relevant and relatable for every participant. All courses are fully accessible with audio and visual elements to aid learning.
Want To Hear More?
If you couldn’t join us at one of our 20-minute live webinars, watch our recorded version here to listen to one of our trainers explain the delivery and content of our Digital Proficiency Course for teachers, parents/carers and pupils.
What Will You Receive?
Delivery Options
Depending on your school’s timetable, devices, and staffing capacity, you can choose the delivery method that best fits your context. The courses are flexible and can be used in several ways:
The Collaborative Classroom
Display and teach the full course and complete the digital test as a whole-class activity. This works
particularly well for lower-primary pupils and may also be suitable for some SEN groups, or those who
benefit from supported learning.
*Note: this is the suggested delivery method for the KS1/Lower Primary Course based on The Friend Ship story.
Best Option For:
Collective Viewing and Individual Scoring
Display and teach the full course to the whole class – either in a single session, during form time,
assemblies, or other allocated slots. Afterwards, allow at least 30 minutes for students to complete
the digital test individually on a device when it suits you.
*Note: if choosing this option, the test will be locked, and students must be instructed to mark course videos as ‘Done’ to unlock the test.
Best Option For:
Individualised Course Experience and Self-Paced Assessment
Schedule a class session where each pupil has access to a computer, laptop, iPad or phone where they can access the Safer Schools App. Allow 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes for learners to complete the course and test independently. Students will need headphones, as all content is video-based. If some pupils do not finish, you may wish to run a ‘mop-up’ session.
