In July, the Department for Education published the final version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026, which comes into force on the 1st September 2026.

This final guidance 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.

This, earlier than usual, release of the final guidance allows for a smooth implementation of changes, greater staff buy in and fundamentally, a greater ability to keep children safe.

Schools and education settings have time to ensure policies and procedures are up to date, staff training is carefully mapped out and relevant processes align with the legislation prior to the start of the autumn term.

This blog outlines the major changes from previous iterations of KCSIE, including changes made following the 2026 consultation earlier this year.

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

The final version of KCSIE 2026 contains a range of important updates that schools need to be aware of. From online safety and early help to safer recruitment and support for gender-questioning children, the guidance strengthens expectations across several areas of safeguarding.

DSLs and senior leaders should take time to read and reflect on the changes to ensure their setting remains compliant and continues to provide effective safeguarding support.

1. 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.

2. 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

• Consider how mobile-phone restrictions support safeguarding, wellbeing and learning within the school’s wider safeguarding strategy.

KCSIE 2026 also places a greater emphasis on AI-related safeguarding risks, with AI-generated imagery, deepfakes and other technology-facilitated harms referenced throughout the guidance.

Schools should ensure staff understand these emerging risks and know how to respond appropriately. Therefore, these changes require significant planning and improved monitoring, particularly for IT teams and DSLs.

3. Updated guidance on gender questioning pupils

KCSIE 2026 provides clearer guidance on supporting children who are questioning their gender, emphasising that schools must adopt a safeguarding-led approach that places the welfare and best interests of the child at the centre of decision-making.

The guidance highlights the importance of listening to children, considering any associated vulnerabilities such as bullying or mental health needs, and ensuring that decisions are informed by careful assessment, professional judgement and appropriate record keeping.

Key points include:

• Schools should not facilitate a broad social transition unless there are exceptional circumstances and a best-interests assessment supports such action.

• Parents should be involved in decision-making wherever appropriate, unless doing so would place the child at risk of harm.

• Decisions should be evidence-based, clearly documented and focused on safeguarding considerations.

• Schools must consider the rights, safety and wellbeing of all children when making decisions.

• Single-sex toilets, changing facilities and residential accommodation remain protected.

This is a complex and evolving area of safeguarding, and many schools may wish to review their policies, procedures and staff training to ensure they align with the final guidance.

4. Expanded child-on-child abuse requirements

KCSIE 2026 strengthens expectations around prevention, reporting and response to child-on-child abuse, including clearer references to harmful sexual behaviour (HSB), technology-facilitated abuse and AI-generated sexual imagery within peer-on-peer abuse considerations.

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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Mobile Phone Free Schools

KCSIE 2026 reinforces the need for schools to consider the safeguarding risks associated with mobile phones, social media and online communication. While many schools are adopting phone-free approaches, leaders should ensure that any restrictions align with their safeguarding policies, behaviour systems and local context.

8. Updated safer recruitment and SCR requirements

The 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.

It also includes significant recruitment updates arising from changes to regulated activity and volunteer checking requirements under the Crime and Policing Act 2026.

Notable additions include:

• expanded regulated activity provisions for some volunteers;

• greater expectations regarding DBS and barred-list checks;

• revised recording requirements within recruitment processes;

• continued emphasis on online searches and pre-employment due diligence

What schools should do now: preparing for KCSIE 2026

With KCSIE 2026 now published, schools should be reviewing policies, procedures, safeguarding training and recruitment arrangements to ensure compliance by 1 September 2026.

Actions to begin considering:

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 final guidance now and implementing the necessary changes in preparation for September 2026, schools can ensure compliance while continuing to strengthen their safeguarding culture and practice.

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

KCSIE 2026 : A Guide to the Key Safeguarding Updates

Our expert advisers have created a comprehensive resource that gives DSLs and school leaders everything they need to know about the latest statutory changes in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025.

Covering online safety, attendance, kinship care, safer recruitment, inclusive language and more, it ensures you are fully up to date and inspection-ready.

It is an indispensable reference guide to support training, policy updates and safeguarding practice in every school.

download here for £1.99

  About the Author

Lucie Welch – Adviser, Services For Education

Lucie Welch has worked in Primary Education for over 15 years, holding a range of leadership positions including Assistant Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Attendance Lead and Designated Teacher for Looked After Children. Having worked across several local authorities and multi-academy trusts, Lucie has developed extensive expertise in safeguarding and supporting children and young people to thrive both academically and personally.

At Services For Education, Lucie is a member of the Safeguarding Team, working with schools, colleges, trusts and other educational settings across Birmingham and beyond. She delivers statutory safeguarding and training, supports organisations through safeguarding audits and reviews and works collaboratively with leaders to strengthen safeguarding culture and practice.

Alongside her safeguarding work, Lucie leads the impactful Health for Life programme across Birmingham, supporting schools to promote healthy lifestyles, wellbeing and positive outcomes for pupils, families and wider communities. Drawing on her extensive school leadership experience, she also contributes to teacher development through her previous work with the SCITT programme and as a facilitator of the Early Career Framework (ECF), supporting trainee and Early Career Teachers to build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for successful careers in education.