Latest Safeguarding Updates

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of the statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance for schools in England, Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE). This guidance replaced KCSIE 2024 when it came into force on 1 September 2025.

The guidance sets out what schools and colleges in England must do to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18.

Our briefing sets out changes made to the guidance.

Updates made in 2025 include:

• the DfE’s Working together to improve school attendance is now statutory guidance
• changes to the list of content risks under online safety, adding in disinformation, misinformation and conspiracy theories
• more information on the DfE guidance on generative artificial intelligence (AI)
• additional information on, and clarity around, alternative provision guidance
• clarity on Virtual School Heads and their non-statutory responsibilities around children in kinship care.