In this end-of-season episode of EdTech People, Matt and Jack reflect on the often-overlooked pressure faced by school IT teams during the summer, when major upgrades, migrations and preparations take place before staff and pupils return.

The main discussion focuses on the 2026 updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education, particularly the growing importance of effective filtering and monitoring. They explore the need for annual reviews, clear senior leadership accountability, staff training and stronger understanding of how safeguarding systems are configured and used. They also discuss emerging risks including AI-generated intimate images, deepfakes, misogyny, harmful online behaviour and the limitations of monitoring on personal or unmanaged devices.

The conversation then broadens into the challenges of BYOD, iPads and one-to-one device programmes. Matt and Jack argue that school-managed devices provide stronger safeguarding, greater equity and more consistent access to learning, but only when supported by the right leadership, training and implementation. The episode closes with reflections on education’s lost momentum since the pandemic, the continuing value of technology in improving life chances, and, inevitably, the frustrations of school printers.