Safeguarding in education is constantly evolving to address challenges faced by children and young people. The draft Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 outlines proposed updates to critical areas like serious violence, mobile phone-free schools and supporting gender-questioning pupils.
Early preparation will help schools align with future statutory requirements and ensure pupil safety. This overview highlights the key changes for education settings and how safeguarding solutions can help schools implement the draft’s principles effectively.
This article summarises proposals in the KCSIE 2026 draft for consultation and may change before publication of the final statutory guidance.
Serious Violence
The KCSIE 2026 draft consultation emphasises that schools must address any behaviours that could harm pupils, including physical violence as well as abuse. The guidance states that staff must report any concerns about a child carrying or using a weapon, or expressing intent to do so, to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL). The DSL is then responsible for assessing the risk and taking appropriate measures, including steps to de-escalate conflicts among peers.
The guidance also highlights the importance of recognising signs that a child may be involved in serious violence, particularly for those with disrupted education, who are at greater risk. The guidance recommends providing support to those at-risk including access to trusted adults, social and emotional skill development and targeted interventions like mentoring or therapeutic assistance where possible.
Child-on-Child Abuse and AI Generated Deepfakes
The KCSIE 2026 proposed changes expand the examples of child-on-child abuse and harmful sexual behaviour to reflect technological developments, including AI-generated intimate imagery (deepfakes).
These updates include the “consensual and non-consensual sharing of self-generated intimate images and/or videos, including those created using AI, such as deepfakes.” It also highlights misogyny as a form of harmful sexual behaviour, alongside sexual violence and harassment. Additionally, the guidance explicitly states that upskirting is a criminal offence, aligning with recent legal changes.
Mobile Phone-Free Schools
The draft guidance reinforces the stricter rules on mobile phone use in schools, emphasising that settings should operate as mobile-phone-free environments “by default,” with any deviations being “by exception only.”
Schools are expected to implement policies ensuring pupils do not have access to their mobile phones throughout the school day. This includes during lessons, transitions between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtimes.
Gender-Questioning Pupils and Facilities
There are several key updates within the draft which address the provision of facilities, support and processes for gender-questioning pupils. The draft guidance calls for sensitive, informed support for pupils questioning their gender. This includes listening to concerns, recognising vulnerabilities such as mental health needs or bullying risks and upholding privacy and dignity.
Crucially decisions relating to social transition must be documented and full records kept documenting the rationale for those decisions. Safeguarding software like CPOMS StudentSafe is a highly effective tool for documenting incidents and information regarding safeguarding decisions, as well as supporting case management processes all in one secure system.
Domestic Abuse Reporting
The draft guidance provides further details on Operation Encompass, the statutory duty requiring police to inform a child’s school if they believe the child may be a victim of domestic abuse. Crucially this notification should include insights into “the voice of the child,” such as their specific statements and behaviour.
Schools are reminded within the guidance of their obligation to comply with data protection laws throughout the Operation Encompass process, given the sensitive nature of the information shared.
Safer Recruitment and Managing Allegations
The draft strengthens safer recruitment requirements, emphasising thorough checks for candidates with overseas work or residency. The draft emphasises continuous safeguarding vigilance beyond the recruitment process, as part of a whole school or college approach.
Clear processes for handling staff allegations are vital. Schools must distinguish between low-level concerns and serious allegations that meet the harm threshold. Accurate, confidential record-keeping is essential, accessible only to trusted staff like DSLs or case managers.
Supporting Change with Digital Systems
The draft KCSIE 2026 reflects an increasingly complex safeguarding landscape, both online and offline. Though still under consultation, these proposed changes call for careful review of current practices and systems.
Digital tools like CPOMS StudentSafe enable schools to:
- Adapt to new requirements: Allowing customisable categories of concern for tracking emerging risks and terminology.
- Maintain robust audit trails: Record all actions and updates with timestamps for accountability.
- Analyse trends effectively: Identify risks early and implement focused interventions.
- Enable secure record sharing: Transfer information quickly and securely during pupil transitions.
CPOMS StaffSafe is designed to support schools with effective and secure logging and monitoring of low level concerns. By implementing confidential record-keeping, schools can maintain alignment with upcoming KCSIE requirements and support compliance through consistent processes and audit trails.
Schools should take this opportunity to refine their safeguarding processes, ensuring records are accurate, secure and easily transferable. By doing so, they’ll be ready to meet new statutory requirements while continuing to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of every pupil.
To find out more about how CPOMS solutions can support your setting, schedule a free demo today.
