Department for Education launches KCSIE 2026 consultation

On 12 February 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) launched a consultation on proposed significant changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), the statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges in England.

The DfE says the changes aim to help schools better understand their legal obligations and what it strongly advises they should do to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. The updates are intended to improve the clarity of the guidance and ensure consistency throughout.

This article summarises some of the key changes that school staff should be aware of. A full list and explanation of the proposed substantive changes can be found in Annex D of the draft guidance.

All staff must read Part One in full

Currently, schools can choose to provide staff who don’t work directly with children with a condensed version of Part One of KCSIE in the form of Annex A. Under the new proposals, Annex A has been removed, meaning every member of staff – regardless of their role – must read Part One in full.

Supporting gender questioning pupils

One of the most anticipated proposed changes to KCSIE 2026 is the inclusion of the long-awaited guidance regarding gender questioning children. Under the proposed guidance, schools will be required to take a “very careful” approach when responding to requests for social transition. Schools should not initiate any action relating to social transition. The guidance applies only where a child or parent or carer has made a request.

Schools are expected to engage parents as a “matter of priority” when a child asks for support with social transition, and staff should not adopt any changes unless the decision has been made in consultation with parents or carers.

We have prepared a separate note on the significant proposed changes around gender and social transition which can be found here.

Tackling harmful sexual behaviour and misogyny

The guidance places renewed emphasis on addressing harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) and misogyny. Part Five has been substantially rewritten to highlight that HSB exists on a continuum and may escalate into sexual harassment or sexual violence.

The proposed changes explicitly name misogyny as a form of inappropriate behaviour requiring early intervention. Schools will be required to update their child protection policies to recognise that dismissing abuse as “banter” or “boys being boys” can lead to a culture of misogyny and an unsafe environment.

Mental health 

Mental health features more prominently as a safeguarding issue. The proposed guidance clarifies that mental health problems can, in some cases, develop into safeguarding concerns, not just act as indicators that a child may have suffered abuse.

The section on children requiring mental health support also now clarifies:

• The importance of whole-school approaches to wellbeing

• The role of education staff in identifying early signs of mental health issues, including significant changes in behaviour, ongoing difficulty sleeping, withdrawal from social situations, not wanting to do things they usually enjoy and physical signs of self-harm or self-neglect

• The need for appropriate referral pathways and targeted support. In emergencies, staff should call 999 or take a child to A&E.

The DfE anticipates that this update reflects growing awareness of the link between mental health and safeguarding and aims to support schools to respond confidently and compassionately.

Serious violence 

Serious violence now has a new dedicated section. It may involve physical assault, carrying, threatening with or using weapons – often in the context of peer conflict or bullying – and may also be associated with criminal exploitation.

The guidance emphasises the importance of the school’s role in protecting children from violence and safeguarding victims, as well as those who may be at risk of, or involved in, violence. Staff should report concerns about a child carrying or using a weapon (or expressing intent to do so) to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), who will assess the risk and take appropriate action.

Risks of serious violence are noted to be higher for children with disrupted education, including those who have been suspended, permanently excluded or spent time in alternative provision.

Young carers 

The needs of young carers have been given specific recognition under the proposed changes. Schools should be alert to their needs and recognise that caring responsibilities can impact attendance, attainment, behaviour and wellbeing. The guidance emphasises the importance of early identification to ensure young carers receive the right support.

DSL cover arrangements 

The proposed changes require schools to ensure more robust cover arrangements for the DSL. This includes new expectations for schools to have confidential systems – such as shared mailboxes – to ensure another member of staff can receive, monitor and act on safeguarding concerns without delay when the DSL is unavailable.

Information sharing

Information sharing receives greater emphasis under the proposed changes. The guidance outlines how safeguarding is a processing condition that allows staff to share personal data without consent when there’s good reason to do so, and reiterates that “fears about sharing information must not be allowed to stand in the way of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare and protect the safety of children”.

Mobile phones and technology

Reflecting the DfE’s recent ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, the expectation that schools should be “mobile phone-free environments by default” is now embedded within KCSIE. Schools are expected to implement policies preventing pupils from accessing phones throughout the school day, including breaks and lunchtimes, with headteachers deciding how best to achieve this.

The guidance also acknowledges the risks of generative artificial intelligence, including deepfakes. References to “nude and semi-nude images” have been replaced with “self-generated intimate images and/or videos including those generated using AI e.g. deepfakes.” Schools must address both consensual and non-consensual sharing of such content in their child protection policies.

New links to government resources have been added to support schools in making decisions around AI use, including guidance noting that AI applications can simulate harmful online interactions for young people.

Reasonable force and restrictive intervention

The section on reasonable force has also been updated to align with new guidance on the use of restrictive interventions. The DfE reiterates that “no contact” policies can leave staff unable to fully support and protect pupils and expects schools to adopt sensible policies allowing appropriate physical contact when necessary.

What happens next?

The proposed changes to KCSIE 2026 are subject to consultation. The consultation seeks views on both the specific changes and the length and formatting of KCSIE more generally.

The consultation is open until 22 April 2026. It’s seeking responses from a range of people, including school staff and governors, and can be accessed here. We will continue to keep schools updated.