Aspect Australia’s Cyber Safety Transformation
Learn how Aspect partnered with the Cyber Safety Project to create a safer, more inclusive digital environment for students, staff, and families.
PARTNERSHIP
Commenced 2024
SCHOOL LEADER
David Bugden
eLearning & Technology Integration Lead
“Online safety isn’t just about avoiding risks, it’s about empowering students to use technology confidently, safely, and responsibly in all aspects of their lives.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Teachers felt empowered with structured, flexible resources that created opportunities for open dialogue and led to more consistent and engaging learning experiences.
- Students engaged through interactive content that was aligned with student’s strengths and interests.
- Involving families fostered a shared language for more consistent and authentic support, creating a safer school-wide digital culture.
Summary
As part of our Cyber Safety Impact Series, we caught up with David Budgen, eLearning & Technology Integration Lead at Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), to hear how they’re approaching cyber safety education in their schools.
David shared how Aspect partnered with the Cyber Safety Project to overcome the challenges of teaching online safety. The outcome? Students are more engaged, teachers feel confident and supported, and the entire school community is working together to create a safer online environment.
The Challenge
Aspect, a leading organisation supporting students on the autism spectrum, recognised the growing need for a structured and effective approach to online safety. With increasing student access to technology, Aspect needed a solution to empower teachers, engage students, and involve families in fostering a safer digital environment.
Aspect faced several challenges:
- Teachers lacked confidence due to limited resources and training.
- Inconsistent delivery of online safety lessons across classrooms.
- Difficulty integrating online safety into the broader curriculum.
“One of our biggest challenges was that many teachers didn’t feel confident teaching cyber safety, often because they weren’t confident navigating those issues themselves.”
These challenges highlighted the need for a comprehensive program that could provide structure, consistency, and flexibility to meet the diverse needs of Aspect’s students and staff.
The Solution
After a successful pilot at its South East Sydney School in 2024, Aspect rolled out the Cyber Safety Project across all schools in 2025, embedding a consistent, whole-school approach to online safety.
Curriculum Integration
Aspect embedded the Cyber Safety Project’s curriculum-aligned lessons, delivering engaging, age-appropriate content for students from Foundation to Year 6. With flexible resources like short videos, interactive activities, and discussion prompts, teachers were able to tailor lessons to individual learning needs. Clear learning intentions and success criteria, in conjunction with professional learning, supported confident and consistent delivery. Educators further adapted the content using visual supports, augmentative and alternative communication systems, and hands-on activities to make lessons accessible and meaningful for every student.
“The lessons are flexible by design, which means teachers can apply their own best practice strategies to deliver the content in ways that are meaningful and accessible.”
Teacher Training
Staff were empowered to deliver online safety lessons through on-demand professional learning. This flexible model allowed Aspect schools to run training independently, at times that suited their schedule and staffing needs.
“The program has helped create a shared language and build consistent strategies that are now used throughout our classrooms, making it easier for staff to address online safety as part of everyday learning.”
Parent Engagement
To support a whole-community approach, Aspect accessed Cyber Safety Project’s parent webinar series, helping families understand key digital issues throughout the year, and reinforcing shared messages between home and school.
“Through the parent webinar series, we’ve been able to connect families with expert-led guidance that is practical, current, and relatable.”
The Results
The Cyber Safety Project delivered measurable improvements across Aspect schools:
✔ Increased teacher confidence:
Staff reported feeling more supported and equipped to teach cyber safety.
✔ Enhanced student engagement:
Students participated in regular, meaningful lessons, building a shared language and consistent strategies for online safety.
✔ Stronger family partnerships:
Parent webinars fostered open dialogue and collaboration between school and home.
✔ Improved digital citizenship:
Students developed the skills to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
“The Cyber Safety Project has had a positive impact across our entire school community, particularly in supporting staff and families to create a safer and more informed digital environment for our students.”
Key Advice
Ready to see results like Aspect Australia?
Contact us today to learn how easily your school can implement our programs.
