Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

Keeping Children Safe in Education is a key piece of statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England. Explore our Advice Hub to learn more about KCSIE 2026, ensuring your school complies with the guidance and helping to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18.

Teacher stood in front of their school with the students playing

What is KCSIE?

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE) to ensure schools and colleges in England carry out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The guidance is reviewed and updated annually, with the latest edition becoming statutory from 1 September 2026. 

KCSIE provides guidance on what education settings “must” do, when there is a legal requirement to act, and what they “should” do, when the advice set out should be followed unless there is good reason not to.

Who is KCSIE for?

Everybody working in a school or college must read at least Part one of the guidance to understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. This includes support staff, contracted staff and volunteers.

KCSIE should be read and followed in its entirety by governing bodies of maintained schools, proprietors of independent schools, management committees of pupil referral units and senior leadership teams.

Teacher with their students huddled together

What is the structure of KCSIE?

The entire Keeping Children Safe in Education document is composed of five parts and three annexes.

  • KCSIE safeguarding shield

    Part one: Safeguarding information for all staff

    This section outlines the core principles of safeguarding, what staff need to know, what to look out for and what to do if they have concerns about a child.

    Part one must be read in full by all staff.

  • A folder with a file pulled out

    Part two: The management of safeguarding

    This part of the guidance sets out the responsibility of governing bodies, proprietors and management committees to facilitate, implement and uphold distinct safeguarding practices.

  • A safeguarding student profile

    Part three: Safer recruitment

    Part three sets out the legal requirements and best practice for the recruitment and selection process in schools and colleges, including pre-appointment checks.

    This part also outlines prohibitions, directions, sanctions and restrictions to hiring.

  • A magnifying glass on a student

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

    This part of the guidance covers how to manage and respond to cases of concern/allegations that may meet the harm threshold as well as “low-level concerns” which do not meet the harm threshold.

  • A red warning sign

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

    Part five outlines how schools and colleges should respond to all signs, reports and concerns of harmful sexual behaviour (HSB), child-on-child sexual harassment and sexual violence, including incidents outside of the premises and/or online.

  • A safeguarding filing system

    Annex A: Further Information

    Annex A contains important additional information and resources on specific forms of abuse and safeguarding issues.

    School and college leaders and those staff who work directly with children should read Annex A.

  • A teacher looking at a tablet device

    Annex B: Role of the designated safeguarding lead

    Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure the DSL takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection in the school or college.

    Outlines the expectations and responsibilities of the role as well as how to support them.

  • Summary of changes file

    Annex C: KCSIE 2026: Summary of changes

    This section summarises and explains the changes made to KCSIE 2025 in the 2026 edition and the DfE’s rationale for doing so.

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This page was last updated in July 2026, following the DfE’s publication of KCSIE 2026.

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