KCSIE Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026: What's Changed?

Every year, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is updated to reflect emerging safeguarding risks, legislative changes and lessons learned from serious case reviews. For schools and colleges in England, staying up to date isn’t just best practice—it’s a statutory requirement.

The 2026 edition of KCSIE introduces some of the most significant changes in recent years, with a stronger emphasis on multi-agency working, tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), information sharing, and ensuring all staff have a deeper understanding of safeguarding responsibilities. The final guidance comes into force on 1 September 2026.

Here’s what school leaders, Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and education staff need to know.

Why Has KCSIE Been Updated?

The Department for Education (DfE) reviews KCSIE annually to ensure schools can respond to evolving safeguarding risks.

The 2026 updates reflect:

• Changes linked to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
• The introduction of Families First reforms and Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs)
• Recommendations following the Casey Audit
• New safeguarding risks, including AI-generated intimate images
• A greater focus on violence against women and girls (VAWG) and misogyny
• Improved clarity throughout the guidance.

Many changes strengthen existing expectations rather than introducing entirely new duties, but schools will still need to review policies, procedures and staff training.

1. All Staff Must Read Part One

One of the most significant practical changes is the removal of the condensed safeguarding summary (formerly Annex A).

From September 2026, all staff are expected to read Part One of KCSIE in full, regardless of their role.

This reflects the DfE’s view that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and that every adult working in a school should understand the core safeguarding principles.

What schools should do?

• Update induction programmes.
• Review safeguarding training.
• Ensure all staff confirm they have read Part One.

2. Stronger Focus on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

The 2026 guidance gives greater prominence to violence against women and girls, recognising that harmful attitudes and behaviours can begin during childhood.

Schools are encouraged to address issues such as:

• Misogyny
• Sexual harassment
• Harmful gender stereotypes
• Healthy relationships
• Respectful behaviour

Rather than treating these as isolated incidents, schools should promote cultures that prevent abuse before it occurs.

Practical example

A school reviewing its PSHE curriculum may introduce additional learning around consent, respectful relationships and challenging sexist language alongside staff training on recognising concerning behaviours.

3. Updated Guidance on Child-on-Child Abuse

The familiar section on child-on-child abuse has been expanded and renamed to emphasise harassment and violence.

The updated guidance reinforces that schools should never dismiss abusive behaviour as:

• “Just banter”
• Part of growing up
• A normal aspect of teenage relationships

Instead, all concerns should be assessed carefully, recorded appropriately and responded to proportionately.

4. New Terminology Around Intimate Images

Technology continues to change the safeguarding landscape.

KCSIE 2026 updates terminology relating to intimate images, recognising the growing use of AI tools.

References to “sexting” and “nude or semi-nude images” have been updated to include:

• Self-generated intimate images
• AI-generated images and videos (including deepfakes)

This reflects increasing concerns around image manipulation and online exploitation.

Why this matters

Schools should ensure online safety education and safeguarding policies recognise emerging technologies and the risks they present.

5. Changes to Multi-Agency Working

KCSIE now reflects wider safeguarding reforms linked to the Families First programme.

The guidance introduces updated terminology around:

• Universal services
• Community-based early help
• Family Help
• Multi-agency child protection arrangements

These changes support the rollout of Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), designed to improve collaboration between education, police, health and children’s social care.

For schools, referral routes remain broadly the same, but professionals should expect more coordinated multi-agency working once referrals reach children’s social care.

6. Improved Information Sharing

The DfE has strengthened expectations around information sharing, particularly when pupils move between schools.

Safeguarding information should be transferred promptly to ensure receiving schools have the information they need to support vulnerable children without unnecessary delay.

Schools should review

• Child protection file transfer procedures
• Record keeping
• Safeguarding chronologies
• Information-sharing protocols

7. Operation Encompass

The updated guidance reflects the national rollout of Operation Encompass, which enables police to notify schools before the start of the next school day when a child has been exposed to a domestic abuse incident.

This allows schools to provide timely emotional support and monitor children who may be affected.

For many schools, this formalises existing practice.

8. Greater Focus on Child Sexual Exploitation and Criminal Exploitation

While exploitation has featured in previous editions, KCSIE 2026 provides additional emphasis on recognising:

• Child sexual exploitation (CSE)
• Child criminal exploitation (CCE)
• Grooming
• Serious violence
• County lines

Staff are reminded that exploitation can affect children from any background and often involves multiple vulnerabilities.

9. Mobile Phones and Online Safety

The updated guidance also includes additional advice around mobile phone use and online safeguarding.

Schools should continue to ensure their online safety policies reflect current risks, including:

• Social media misuse
• AI technologies
• Online grooming
• Cyberbullying
• Sharing of intimate images

The emphasis remains on education, prevention and proportionate safeguarding responses.

10. New Guidance on Children Questioning Their Gender

One of the most widely discussed additions is the inclusion of guidance on supporting children who are questioning their gender.

The new sections cover:

• Safeguarding considerations
• Working with parents where appropriate
• Single-sex spaces
• Boarding accommodation
• Sport

The DfE has incorporated this guidance into KCSIE to ensure safeguarding considerations are addressed alongside wider pupil wellbeing. Schools should familiarise themselves with the final statutory wording and any associated legal obligations.

What Should Schools Do Now?

To prepare for September 2026, schools should:

• Review safeguarding policies.
• Update staff induction materials.
• Ensure all staff read Part One in full.
• Refresh safeguarding training.
• Review online safety education.
• Update procedures for transferring child protection files.
• Ensure DSLs understand the Families First reforms and multi-agency changes.
• Review behaviour, relationships and PSHE policies to reflect the strengthened focus on misogyny, respectful relationships and violence against women and girls.

Why Regular Safeguarding Training Matters

KCSIE continues to evolve because safeguarding risks continue to evolve.

Regular safeguarding training ensures staff can recognise emerging risks, understand their responsibilities and respond confidently when concerns arise.

High-quality training should help staff:

• Recognise signs of abuse and neglect.
• Understand local referral procedures.
• Identify online safeguarding risks.
• Respond appropriately to disclosures.
• Keep accurate safeguarding records.
• Stay informed about legislative changes.

By keeping training current, schools can ensure they remain compliant with statutory guidance while creating safer environments for every child.

Beyond KCSIE

Although many of the 2026 changes build on existing safeguarding expectations, together they represent a significant strengthening of safeguarding practice across education.

The increased focus on early intervention, effective information sharing, emerging online risks and collaborative safeguarding reflects a clear direction of travel: safeguarding is becoming increasingly proactive, joined-up and responsive.

For schools and colleges, reviewing policies is only part of the picture. Ensuring every member of staff understands the changes through regular safeguarding training will be essential to meeting statutory responsibilities and protecting children effectively in the year ahead.