Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026: Updated Guidance Now in Force

KCSIE sets out the safeguarding responsibilities that staff working in and around educational settings are expected to understand and follow.
At Education World, safeguarding is central to the way we work with schools and candidates, so we want to make sure everyone working through us knows that the guidance has been updated and where to access the latest version.

What has changed in KCSIE 2026?

The 2026 update includes a number of changes across safeguarding practice, including updates relating to technology, mental health, filtering and monitoring, mobile phones, safer recruitment and wider safeguarding terminology.

Rather than trying to summarise those changes in full here, the most important thing is to read the latest guidance directly and make sure you are familiar with the requirements relevant to your role.

One key change for 2026 is the removal of Annex A, meaning all staff are now expected to read Part One of KCSIE in full, including those who do not work directly with children.

Key areas updated in 2026

The latest guidance includes updates across a number of important areas.

These include:

• New guidance around AI, including AI-generated and deepfake images, and the safe use of generative AI in education
• A substantially updated section on mental health
• New guidance on filtering and monitoring effectiveness
• A new policy section relating to mobile phone use
• New and expanded content on Violence Against Women and Girls, misogyny and serious violence
• Updated guidance relating to children who are LGB or gender-questioning
• New “Family Help” terminology reflecting wider multi-agency changes
• A significant safer recruitment change relating to the removal of the supervision exemption from regulated activity

These updates are highlighted in order to reflect the areas staff should be aware have changed in the latest version.

Starting in a new school or setting?

Even if you are already familiar with KCSIE, every school and setting will have its own safeguarding procedures and reporting processes.

Before beginning work, make sure you know where safeguarding information is kept, how concerns are recorded and who you should speak to if you are unsure about a procedure.

This is especially important when moving between placements, as local processes can vary even when the wider statutory responsibilities remain the same.

Read the latest KCSIE guidance

The updated Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 guidance is now in force.

If you work in an educational setting, make sure you have read the latest guidance and are familiar with the safeguarding procedures in the setting where you are working.

READ KCSIE 2026

Please note: This article is intended to signpost the latest statutory guidance and highlight the main areas updated in 2026. It does not replace the full KCSIE document.