Education Adviser, Lucie Welch, discusses the draft version of KCSIE 2026, including key updates and actions teachers can take now…

The Department for Education has recently released the draft version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026. This update introduces some of the most significant safeguarding changes in recent years, many of which have been welcomed by DSLs and members of the education community.

Although the document is still in draft form and undergoing consultation, it is important that DSLs, senior leaders and safeguarding staff have an understanding of the proposed change and what this means for their setting. This allows for a smooth implementation of changes, greater staff buy in and fundamentally, a greater ability to keep children safe.

This blog outlines the major changes from previous iterations of KCSIE, why responding to the consultation is vital for all settings and how schools can begin planning.

What’s new in KCSIE 2026? Key updates schools must understand:

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 includes wide-ranging updates that affect safeguarding practice, online safety, early help, safer recruitment, RSHE and the management of pupils who are questioning their gender. DSLs and school Senior Leaders should take time to read and digest the document and need to be aware of the following changes.

Stronger focus on early help and multi-agency working

The updated document clarifies that in‑school early help should focus on identifying concerns early and providing timely, school‑led support through pastoral systems or DSL‑coordinated interventions, while external Family Help involves coordinated multi‑agency support delivered through Local Authority children’s services when a child’s needs exceed what the school can meet alone. This includes clearer expectations around thresholds, decision making and contextual safeguarding, which means staff must be confident in recognising early signs of harm and knowing how to escalate concerns.

Major strengthening of online safety requirements

Online safety updates are among the most substantial changes.

Schools must:

• Review filtering and monitoring systems every year
• Assess risks from AI generated content, deepfakes and online image sharing
• Embed online safety as part of a whole-school safeguarding approach
• Ensure the school environment is mobile phone free by default

These changes require significant planning and improved monitoring, particularly for IT teams and DSLs.

Updated guidance on gender questioning pupils

The guidance introduces important and long-awaited updates on supporting pupils who are questioning their gender, emphasising that schools must respond with sensitivity, professional curiosity and a strong safeguarding focus.

The draft highlights the need to listen to pupils’ concerns, recognise any associated vulnerabilities such as mental health needs or bullying risks and ensure their dignity, safety and welfare remain at the centre of decision making.

Crucially the guidance sets out stricter expectations around decision making and record keeping. Any request relating to social transition must be carefully considered, documented and supported by a clear rationale that reflects the best interests of the child and the wider pupil community.

Key points include:

• Schools must not initiate social transition
• Single-sex toilets, changing rooms and residential accommodation must remain protected
• Decisions must always prioritise safeguarding and the best interests of all children
• Schools must engage parents unless doing so poses a risk

This is an area where schools may require additional guidance, training and policy updates.

Expanded child-on-child abuse requirements

KCSIE 2026 strengthens expectations around prevention, reporting and response to child on child abuse, including harmful sexual behaviours.

Changes include:

• A clearer zero-tolerance approach
• Broader definitions covering serious violence, misogyny and AI generated imagery
• Stronger expectations around pupil reporting mechanisms and staff responses

Schools must ensure their child-on-child abuse policy reflects these expanded categories.

Domestic Abuse Reporting

The guidance clarifies expectations around how schools should respond to domestic abuse, particularly through expanded guidance on the statutory Operation Encompass duty.

Key updates include:

• Operation Encompass notifications must be shared with schools whenever police attend a domestic abuse incident and believe a child may have been affected.
• Notifications should reflect the voice of the child, including any statements they made or behaviour observed during or after the incident.
• Schools must handle all Operation Encompass information in line with data protection laws.

Clearer expectations around safeguarding mental health

Staff must be able to identify early signs of mental health concerns and understand how to respond effectively. KCSIE 2026 reinforces the link between mental health and wider safeguarding risks.

Mobile Phone Free Schools

KCSIE 2026 reinforces the expectation that schools operate as mobile phone free environments as part of their whole school safeguarding approach. The draft guidance states that mobile phone restrictions should apply “by default,” meaning pupils should not have access to their phones at any point during the school day unless a clearly defined exception is agreed. This includes lessons, transitions, breaktimes and lunchtimes, ensuring a safer and more focused learning environment.

Updated safer recruitment and SCR requirements

The draft guidance strengthens procedures for online due diligence checks, reference verification, recruitment record keeping, single central record updates and expectations for contractors, volunteers, visitors and trainee teachers

Why schools must complete the online consultation:

This consultation is a crucial opportunity for safeguarding professionals to shape national policy. Responses from DSLs, senior leaders and education professionals will help ensure the final version reflects real practice and operational pressures in schools.

By contributing your views, you help influence:

• The clarity of expectations
• The practicality of implementation
• The workload impact on schools
• The support schools will need from the DfE

You can complete the consultation here. The closing date is 22nd April 2026.

What schools should do now: preparing for KCSIE 2026

As the guidance is still in draft form and the consultation is not complete, schools must not make any immediate changes and should keep referring to the 2025 document for guidance.

But leaders can begin to plan ahead to ensure a smooth transition and effective implementation of changes.

Actions to begin considering:

• Start mapping policy changes needed for September: Which policies need altering or updating? How do you ensure consistency? Who is responsible for what?
• Audit filtering, monitoring and IT systems: What are your current systems? How effective are these? How do you know? What needs to change or improve to comply with the updated guidance?
• Identify training needs for safeguarding, online safety and RSHE: Begin planning your annual CPD calendar. Where are key topics being covered? How do you ensure all staff members receive the right training? How is effective is your training and is the impact of this carefully monitored?
• Review processes for early help and multi-agency communication: What are your in-school processes? How can these be tightened or streamlined? How is evidence of intervention and early help recorded? How confident are your staff with the thresholds of support?
• Begin to consider how to manage requests involving gender questioning pupils: Do you have a policy for this? How are you going to elicit pupil and parent views? Does your policy have safeguarding at its core? Do staff understand the changes in guidance?
• Update governing bodies on expected changes: What safeguarding training have your governors had? How will your safeguarding link governor check that all changes are in place once the document is published in full? What training have your governors had in strategic safeguarding and holding staff members to account?

By spending time now to not only understand the guidance but plan for its implementation will lead to smoother changes and more effective safeguarding once the final statutory version is published.

How Services For Education can support your school:

Services For Education offers a wide range of specialist safeguarding support, which can help schools prepare for KCSIE 2026.

Our team can support with:

• Safeguarding training and CPD – High-quality training for DSLs, staff and governors aligned with the updated expectations in KCSIE 2026.
• Safeguarding audits and quality assurance – Independent audits to review practice, identify gaps and ensure safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.
• RSHE support – Expert guidance on sensitive curriculum areas, including relationships education, gender, online harms and supporting pupils who are questioning or transitioning.
• Policy and procedure updates – Support to update key safeguarding policies, such as online safety, safer recruitment, child on child abuse and early help.
• Governor training – Training for governing bodies or trustees to strengthen their strategic oversight and their role as the school’s critical friend in safeguarding.

Our approach is supportive, evidence based and designed to help schools embed strong safeguarding culture without overwhelm.

KCSIE 2026 brings important and far-reaching changes that will strengthen safeguarding across all settings. By reviewing the draft now, responding to the consultation and beginning early planning, DSLs and leaders can ensure they are ready for implementation in September.

If your school would like help reviewing the draft, preparing for policy changes or delivering staff CPD, our safeguarding team would be happy to work with you. Contact us on safeguarding@servicesforeducation.co.uk for more information.

If you found this blog useful, you may also be interested in reading the following blogs:

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Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools, April 2026: Is Your School Ready?

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  About the Author

Lucie Welch – Adviser, Services For Education

Lucie Welch has worked in the field of Primary Education for the last 15 years, holding the positions of Assistant Head of School, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Through working across several local authorities and within multi-academy trusts, Lucie has garnered a passion for safeguarding and supporting children and young people to enable them to thrive.

At Services For Education, Lucie is an integral part of the Safeguarding team, sharing her expertise with schools, colleges, trusts, and other educational settings across the city of Birmingham and beyond. Dedicated to improving safeguarding practices in an actionable and impactful way, Lucie works closely with settings to provide bespoke training, supports with reflection on their own practices during Safeguarding audits and always strives to contribute to a better learning environment for all children. Through delivery of statutory training for DSLs and Safer Recruitment, Lucie works with colleagues in all age ranges and is a source of expertise within these areas.

Lucie also wears other important hats within the School Support Team. Not only is she dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of students through her role in safeguarding, but she also plays a key part in the PSHE/RSE and Health for Life teams. Additionally, Lucie partners with the Best Practice Network to deliver the Early Career Framework, supporting new teachers in their professional development.