Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026: Summary of Changes

The ‘for information only’ version of KCSIE has now been released. Schools and colleges should treat this version as a draft. The finalised version will be published in readiness for implementation from 1st September 2026.

The purpose of the statutory guidance contained within KCSIE is to set out what schools and colleges in England must do to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18.

Our team of education experts have been hard at work distilling the changes from the previous version.

Updates to KCSIE 2026

Unlike the previous two updates, this year has seen far more substantive changes that will come into place on 1st September 2026. Here is a summary of the key changes.

• All staff must read Part One – The condensed version previously found in Annex A has been removed. All staff are now expected to read and understand Part One.

• Child-on-Child Abuse – Part Five has been expanded to provide greater clarity on child-on-child abuse, harmful sexual behaviour and serious violence.

• Alternative Provision – Greater emphasis has been placed on safeguarding due diligence and quality assurance when using alternative provision.

• Vetting of Volunteers – Schools should review safer recruitment practices in line with updated guidance on regulated activity and volunteer vetting.

• AI and Online Safety – New guidance reflects AI, deepfakes, cyber threats and other online harms, with additional information on mobile phone use in schools.

• Annual Filtering and Monitoring Checks – Schools must review and document the effectiveness of filtering and monitoring systems at least annually.

• Gender Questioning Children – New guidance outlines expectations for decision-making, safeguarding considerations and parental involvement.

• Mental Health – Greater emphasis is placed on early identification, intervention and support, recognising the link between mental health and safeguarding.

• Potential Vulnerabilities – New references include young carers and children with medical conditions, recognising their increased safeguarding vulnerabilities.

• Early Identification and Help – Stronger emphasis is placed on identifying needs early and providing timely Early Help to prevent issues escalating.

• Information Sharing – The guidance reinforces that data protection should never prevent appropriate information sharing to keep children safe.

What are some of the key things school leaders need to review and consider?

• Child Protection Policy

• Online Safety Policy

• Behaviour and Mobile Phone Policies

• Safer Recruitment Procedures

• Volunteer Recruitment and Management Processes

• Attendance and CME Procedures

• Filtering and Monitoring Arrangements

• Staff and Governor Safeguarding Training and Updates

And here is a reminder of the changes made to last year’s edition of KCSIE:

Updates to KCSIE 2025

• Clarification that schools remain responsible for the pupils they place in alternative provision

• The word “exploitation” is included more comprehensively within definitions, so “abuse and neglect” becomes “abuse, neglect, and exploitation”

• Clarification of schools’ responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Act 2018 regarding handling personal information in compliance with UK GDPR

• The wording “deliberately missing education” has been changed to “unexplainable and/or persistent absences” to shift from victim blaming to understanding why children are missing from education

• Additional text implemented to help clarify the ‘indicators of abuse and neglect’ in relation to domestic violence, where it can include what young people ‘see, hear, or experience its effects’

Prospero Learning is updating its training and CPD offer in readiness for the guidance coming into effect from September.

How can Prospero Learning support your school or college?

We will be working on updating all our training and CPD offers in readiness for the guidance coming into effect. For September 2026, this will include:

• Keeping Children Safe in Education Knowledge Check

• Introductory Safeguarding (Level 1) course – FREE for schools, colleges, and MATs

• Intermediate Safeguarding (Level 2) course

• Intermediate Safeguarding (Level 2) for Tutors course

• Advanced Safeguarding (Level 3) for Designated Safeguarding Leads course

• Safer Recruitment Training

All our training is accredited and certified by CPDUK and has been designed in line with the latest DfE, Ofsted, and wider government guidance around safeguarding to help you meet your statutory requirements and support compliance. Our courses are written by education experts.

Contacted our team for more information – info@prospero-learning.com