Keeping Children Safe in Education

The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), which will take effect on 1 September 2026.

Key additions include:

• The requirement for boards to review filtering and monitoring systems annually and ensure that a written record of these checks is maintained
• Guidance for schools supporting children questioning their gender with greater clarification on rules relating to toilets, changing rooms and school sport along with general principles for schools to follow including with regard to involving parents
• Robust cover arrangements for when the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is unavailable, such as using a confidential shared inbox
• That schools now need to implement a policy on prohibiting pupils’ use of mobile phones during the school day
• New requirement confirms that all incidents involving sharing of nude or semi-nude images require a safeguarding response, consensual or non-consensual
• Any person volunteering in a school for more than 3 days in a 30 day period or overnight is now automatically included within regulated activity regardless of whether they are supervised and will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

The Devon Safeguarding Team has published a model policy for schools, with appendices for schools in Devon, Torbay and Plymouth.