KCSIE 2026 Consultation: A Summary of the Key Changes & How to Respond

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched the consultation on Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026. It details proposed changes to the guidelines that would come into effect in September. 

The updates are intended to improve consistency across safeguarding systems, ensure terminology aligns with that used in related DfE guidelines, and highlight new safeguarding risks. This guide provides a summary of the main changes schools, colleges and MATs need to know. 

About the consultation

The DfE provides rationales for the proposed updates, and asks questions to gather evidence and feedback on what would be most useful for educators and safeguarders.

To be clear, these updates are not confirmed. Changes may be added or altered in the guidelines before they come into effect in September 2026 - largely depending on the responses to the consultation. 

Schools, colleges and MATs are recommended to read the consultation document in full and share their feedback with the DfE by the deadline of April 22nd.

Proposed changes to KCSIE

Part one: Safeguarding information for all staff

• Length of document: Feedback is requested on whether the current document is too long, just right, or too short. 
  
  

• HTML to replace PDF: The DfE is exploring the option to change the format of KCSIE, to improve accessibility.
  
  
• Removal of Annex A: The DfE plans to remove this summary of Part One of KCSIE, as it proposes all staff should read Part One in full.
  
  
• Child sexual exploitation: guidance updated to acknowledge the issue of victims being criminalised for actions taken under coercion. 
  
  
• Violence between children: Updated to highlight that this can be a safeguarding issue for both the victim and perpetrator of child-on-child violence - and may be characterised by physical assault and threats with weapons.
  
  
• Nude imagery: The language on sexting and nude imagery is updated to acknowledge that these may be “self-generated” and/or “generated using AI e.g. deepfakes.”
  
  
• Misogyny: There are increased references to misogyny, particularly with a focus on how misogyny intersects with harmful sexual behaviour.
  
  
• Financial exploitation: There are more references to this growing issue, which may take the form of fraud or scams, including financially-motivated sexploitation. 
  
  
• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework: This guidance is now referenced, with a reminder that it applies to school nurseries and reception classes for children up to the age of 5.
  
  
• Multi-agency arrangements: The guidance aligns more closely with Working Together to Safeguard Children, to improve consistency across safeguarding systems. 
  
  
• Children who may benefit from Early Help: Now includes those who have “been repeatedly removed from the classroom” and those who are “on a part-time timetable”. 
  
  
• Legal definition of rape: It is clarified that this includes when a person uses their penis without consent to penetrate the mouth of another person.
  
  
• LADO referrals: Information on responding to safeguarding concerns or allegations about other members of staff appears earlier in the document. 
  

Part two: The management of safeguarding

• Mental health: There is a greater focus on how mental health concerns can intersect with safeguarding duties, particularly around risks including self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal ideation. The need for early identification of risk and targeted support is emphasised. 
  

• Gender questioning children: Guidance on this issue is to be incorporated into KCSIE, with two new sections covering single-sex spaces and single-sex sports being added. It states that it is not the role of schools and colleges to initiate action in this area, and recommends a cautious, flexible and understanding approach. 
  

• AI: Two new paragraphs have been added to help schools and colleges “understand safety considerations and legal responsibilities if they choose to use Generative AI.” They reference the Generative artificial intelligence in education paper, and online resources produced by the Chiltern Learning Trust and Chartered College of Teaching. 
  

• Mobile phone policy: A new paragraph confirms that “all schools should be mobile phone-free environments by default.” Two resources are linked: Mobile phones in schools and Creating a mobile phone-free environment: school case studies.
  

• Filtering and monitoring: The guidance now matches wording in the Filtering and monitoring standards. This includes stating that systems should be reviewed at least once every academic year, to ensure they are working effectively on all relevant devices.
  

• DSL role: Governing bodies and proprietors are advised to ensure that designated safeguarding leads have the appropriate “skills and experience” to be able to fulfil their duties, alongside the existing requisite of “status” and "authority."
  
  
• Preventive education: It is proposed that this should now address “derogatory behaviour or other forms of physical violence and conflict” and “online harms such as sharing images, the prevalence of deepfakes, pornography and misogynistic influencers and when and where to seek help.”
  
  
• Cyber security: This is now recognised as a safeguarding concern, because if a child’s sensitive data is compromised by a cyber attack, it puts their safety and wellbeing at risk. 
  
  
• Alternative provision: Now expanded to include a reference to the National standards for non-school alternative provision, which may be used by local authorities to develop a register of approved settings for schools to use.
  
  
• Medical conditions: While these might not indicate that a child is at greater safeguarding risk, it is advised that when clinical incidents occur, healthcare professionals should work with DSLs to consider whether a safeguarding duty is triggered.
  
  
• Special educational needs, disabilities (SEND) or health issues: The list of additional barriers that exist when recognising abuse, neglect or exploitation in this context has been expanded to include factors such as “that these children are more likely to be dependent on adults for care.
  
  
• Information sharing: Where children move settings, the DSL may consider sharing information beyond the child protection file if it indicates that the student may be a risk to themselves or others.
  

Part three: Safer recruitment

• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks: The requirements for adults who supervise children on work experience is updated to avoid unnecessary DBS checks being requested and reflect policy changes on work experience. 
  
  
• Single Central Record: The draft includes an example of a single central record that meets KCSIE’s statutory requirements.

Part four: Safeguarding concerns or allegations made about staff, including supply teachers, volunteers and contractors

• Safeguarding allegations against staff: Trainee teachers are specifically named in this section as clarification that people in this position are subject to the same procedures, should an allegation be made against them. 

Part five: Child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harrassment

• Child-on-child sexual harassment and sexual violence: This section is reordered to present a more logical continuum of behaviours, starting with early indicators of harmful sexual behaviour and ending with sexual violence. 

Annex B (to become Annex A): Further information

• Cybercrime: The issue is recognised as “one of the most significant and rapidly evolving threats within the United Kingdom’s (UK) crime landscape”, and young people may partake in it without understanding the full implications.
  
  
• Online safety advice: Two new links to address emerging digital risks have been included: Understanding and responding to AI-generated child sexual abuse material, and Financially motivated sexual extortion (FMSE).

Annex C (to become Annex B): The role of the designated safeguarding lead

• DSL cover arrangements: The importance of having robust cover arrangements for DSLs is highlighted, to ensure safeguarding concerns can be addressed without delay. 

Expanding the DfE’s evidence base: Questions for educators

The consultation ends with a section detailing areas where changes have been requested, but the DfE’s knowledge is “currently limited.” The department is requesting feedback on the following topics:

• Affluent neglect
  
  
• AI safeguarding risks
  
  
• A British Sign Language (BSL) version of KCSIE
  
  
• Children Affected by Domestic Abuse (CADA)
  
  
• Grooming gangs and related safeguarding risks
  
  
• Emerging threats linked to gaming platforms
  
  
• Non-criminal harmful sexual behaviour
  
  
• Self-Referral – harm towards a child
  
  
• Abuse in teenage relationships
  
  
• Verbal abuse as a distinct safeguarding concern
  
  
• How to improve support for DSLs and DDSLs

KCSIE 2026: Next steps

The consultation presents the opportunity to shape future statutory guidance. Feedback and insights from those on the front line of safeguarding is invaluable, and helps to ensure these documents remain rigorous, fair and effective. 

Schools, colleges and MATs can review the draft and have their say using these links:

• KCSIE 2026 consultation
• Draft for consultation 

The official version of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 is expected to be released in summer, and become policy in September.