Secure connection (HTTPS) on your school website
A secure website, so every address starts with https and browsers show a padlock.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- School and trust websites
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When it's due
Keep it up to date
There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
What's needed
Serve your whole website over HTTPS with a valid certificate, redirecting every http address to https so all pages and documents load securely.
What it must contain
No parts listedThe official sources name no separate parts for this requirement. We check that it is published and easy to find.
What the official sources say
Set out in 1 official source:
Cyber security standards for schools and colleges
check that your email is set up to be secure and that it reduces the risk of third parties being able to send imitation emails – for more information, read our standard within this topic titled, ‘Secure digital technology and data with anti-malware and a firewall’
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ Conduct a cyber risk assessment annually and review every term > How to meet this standard > Check data processing, access and permissions
Questions schools ask
Do school websites have to use HTTPS?
For academies and maintained schools, it's recommended in official guidance, but isn't a legal requirement in itself.
How often do we need to check our HTTPS certificate?
Keep it up to date. There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
Where does the requirement for the secure website connection come from?
It is set out in Cyber security standards for schools and colleges.
Recent changes to the official guidance
None of the published updates to the official sources change this requirement.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
Is this on your school's website?
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4