KCSIE 2024 final version published

The final version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) was published and came into effect on 2 September 2024. In June 2024, we published an article, which can be found here, highlighting the substantive changes to the KCSIE guidance. Further amendments have been made to the final version which are summarised below:-

1. Part Two – Elective home education: the wording of paragraph 180 has been amended as to require schools to make a return to the local authority when a pupil’s name is deleted from the admission register, in accordance with the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 which came into force in August. This requirement does not apply where a pupil’s name is deleted after they have completed the final year at the school unless the local authority have asked to be informed about such deletions.
2. Part Three – Checks on individuals who have lived or worked outside the UK: paragraph 287 has been removed, as they
3. Annex A, Paragraph 3: the definition of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children has been amended to reflect the revised definition within the updated Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance, issued in December 2023. Reference to the Children’s Social Care National Framework has been removed as school and college staff are not required to comply with this framework. It is important to note that the definition is not identical to the definition in Part One as Annex A does not refer to protecting children from maltreatment “whether that is within or outside the home, including online”.
4. Annex A, Paragraph 12: the words ‘deliberately missing education’ have been replaced with ‘unexplainable and or/persistent absences from education’ to reflect the revised definition of “safeguarding issues” used in part one.

There was uncertainty as to whether the section on page 55 referring to the draft Gender questioning children guidance would be revised under a new Government. However, the section remains as before and continues to be under review pending the final Gender questioning children guidance being published.

It is important to note that the amendments have resulted in a change to the paragraph and page numbering from paragraph 287 onwards, and schools should update any references in the Child Protection and Safeguarding policies accordingly.

Schools should ensure they have read and understood the new KCSIE guidance, which can be found here.

We have reviewed the ISBA template Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy again in light of these changes to the final version. We have made changes to references only and no substantive changes were necessary. We have also updated the Safeguarding Regulatory Checklist which sits alongside this Policy and both revised documents are now available in the ISBA Reference Library.