Digital Literacy Curriculum Reform

Dr Michaela Oliver; November 2025

The recently published Department for Education (DfE) report following the Curriculum and Assessment Review places long overdue emphasis on digital literacy. Defined in the Report as “encompass[ing] the knowledge, behaviours and confidence required to use technologies and computer systems creatively, safely and effectively” (p. 36), there is a clear response to the changing ways of being and working in our society: “the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and trends in digital information demand heightened media literacy and critical thinking, as well as digital skills” (p. 10). Implications of a lack of digital literacy are recognised in the Report, in terms of capacity to safely use and critically engage with digital technologies, both personally and professionally. There is also explicit rebuttal against the misconception that young people will acquire digital literacy automatically (tapping into the ‘digital natives’ misconceptions) and instead, require “a robust digital education”. There is therefore clear recognition that becoming digitally literate requires more than simply being able to use technologies.    

Proposed Changes

Recommended curriculum changes to directly address the need to offer our young people an enhanced digital literacy education include:

• Introducing a statutory Citizenship curriculum from Key Stage 1 with media literacy representing one element of core essential content in the primary phase.
• Revising the current Computing curriculum to ensure pupils develop essential digital literacy skills required for work and future life.
• Replacing the Computer Science GCSE  with a Computing GCSE to reflect the breadth of the Computing curriculum and support pupils to develop the digital skills they need.
• Reviewing other curriculum areas (beyond Computing) where digital skills and technologies are integral. Considering whether specific digital content should be added to relevant Programmes of Study (sequenced and aligned with the Computing curriculum).

Aspects to Celebrate

These proposals should be largely celebrated. They respond to the need for young people to develop fluent, critical, and ethical ways of working in a digital world. They identify explicit curriculum areas through which digital literacy can be developed. They also consider the breadth of statutory schooling, beginning in Key Stage 1. Framing digital literacy skills as “applied knowledge” ensures that pupils must learn both conceptual ideas (e.g. how algorithms rank content) and situated practices (e.g. how to verify a claim, how to spot bias in an AI output). This, in theory, should help to ensure pupils appreciate the relevance of this aspect of the curriculum, recognising how this applies to them and their digital lives.

Implementation Challenges

While the positives of the proposals have been discussed, it is important to consider the implications and potential challenges of implementing these recommendations. These can be considered according to two broad categories: teacher confidence, preparedness and subject knowledge; and resources, infrastructure and equity. It is vital that these two categories are considered alongside efforts to finalise the revised National Curriculum.

1. Teacher confidence, preparedness and subject knowledge

The increased demands within the computing and citizenship curriculum areas may be met with concerns from some educators. Most primary school teachers did not train to teach digital literacies or AI literacy. In addition, many will not have received training in Citizenship which is currently a non-statutory aspect of the curriculum. Secondary teachers in subject areas outside of computing (e.g. history, English, science) will now be asked to highlight digital practices within their areas. Without sustained, high-quality professional development, intentions will remain uneven. It is unlikely that one-off training sessions would be sufficient; teachers need ongoing, collaborative development, modelled lessons, and accessible curriculum materials to support these new and increased demands. Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes should therefore treat this as an urgent priority, ensuring every educator is equipped to embed these practices from an informed base with knowledge and confidence.

2. Resources, infrastructure and equity

Digital literacy education requires appropriate infrastructure and resources: devices, stable connectivity, safe filtering, privacy-aware platforms, etc. It is vital that these requirements can be achieved by all schools, or else there is a significant risk of widening existing gaps. Addressing these needs requires targeted funding and practical advice for school leaders on procurement, security and inclusion.

Making Citizenship compulsory from KS1, and adding explicit expectations across subjects represents a significant curriculum change. In a profession already crippled by workload pressures and with teacher recruitment and retention a significant issue, the resource needed to plan for and implement the required changes cannot be underestimated. Schools will need time and support to (re)develop curriculum areas and to map ways in which digital literacy can be woven into existing subject content effectively. The latter point is particularly relevant to existing arguments about curriculum overload (although the Report does recognise this issue and identifies aspects of content to be removed). It is vital that resourcing needs are addressed to ensure digital inclusion goals can be achieved.

 Recommendations to support implementation

1. Support for Teachers
   • Develop and fund CPD pathways for primary and secondary teachers focused on digital and media literacy content and pedagogical knowledge.
   • Create evidence-informed resources to support implementation: curriculum principles and lesson plans that support digital literacy education and exemplify this across Key Stages and across relevant areas of the curriculum (computing, citizenship plus other vehicles for media literacy such as English, History and Science).
   • Develop clear guidance for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers to ensure that they are training teachers to effectively meet the demands of the revised curriculum.
2. Resourcing Requirements
   • Ensure targeted capital investment for connectivity and devices in disadvantaged schools, tied to clear support for sustainable procurement and device lifecycle planning.
   • Provide model contracts and guidance on privacy, data protection and filtering systems that protect pupils without over blocking educational content.
   • Offer technical helpdesks or regional teams to support schools who require this.
   • Teachers preparing to meet the revised curriculum requirements need time and resources to do so. Consideration should be made to ensure that all schools are able to fund such development time and access to expertise/CPD. It is vital that the most disadvantaged schools are supported (where necessary) to devote sufficient resource to these demands otherwise we risk inconsistent implementation (which is likely to widen existing gaps further). This represents a potential risk to digital inclusion which must be anticipated and mediated from the outset.
3. Partnerships
   • Grow networks of researchers, subject specialists, ‘digital literacy leads’ and industry partners to provide CPD, mentoring and to inform curriculum development.
   • Commission independent research to ensure revised curriculum offers are informed by evidence and represent the best investments in educational development.

Concluding Thoughts

The proposed National Curriculum reforms represent a welcome, long-overdue commitment to meeting the needs of a changing society. Digital literacy is now centred as part of the civic and cultural education of every child. This should be celebrated. Yet transforming practice across thousands of schools takes time. The success of these changes will depend upon the development of appropriate support systems and infrastructure. These include establishing partnerships which bring together researchers, industry and schools; CPD opportunities for current teachers and enhanced Initial Teacher Education to ensure our newest teachers have the requisite knowledge and skills; funding of evidence-informed resources to support implementation; investment in infrastructure and a commitment to ensure all schools are able to allocate sufficient resource (including time) to meeting the demands of the new proposals. The latter requirement in particular needs to account for an already overstretched, overworked profession where recruitment and retention continue to pose significant challenges.

Done well, this reform could leave a legacy more valuable than any single qualification: a generation that understands the digital tools they use, the systems that shape what they see, and their responsibilities as users, creators and citizens.

Access resources, reports and news on our latest activities on the Digital Literacies Network.