Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025

We have emboldened the differences between the July 2025 'information only' KCSiE 25 and the September 25 version.

• The revised July 2025 Relationships, Sex and Health Education guidance is referenced in para 128.  Education settings have until September 2026 to implement this guidance. The planned programme of evidence based RSHE should tackle now includes (para 130):
  • supporting children to develop the skills that form the building blocks of all positive relationships.
  • kindness in relationships.
  • how to not only recognise abusive relationships but also report concerns.
  • being clear that sexual violence and sexual harassment are never the fault of the person experiencing it. 
• “The concepts of, and laws relating to – sexual consent, sexual exploitation, abuse, grooming, coercion, harassment, rape, domestic abuse, so called ‘honour’-based violence such as forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and how to access support, ...” now reads “the concepts of, and laws relating to – all forms of sexual harassment, and abuse, and how to access support, ...” (para 130). Whilst it is arguable a shortening of the text and not a change in emphasis, the change in text does allow more leeway in how these areas are covered, without necessarily requiring the specificity that was previously there.
• The four Cs of online risk, content, contact, conduct and commerce (para 135) have been slightly updated with the addition of content that includes misinformation, disinformation (including fake news) and conspiracy theories. Educate Against Hate highlighted approaches to take within schools in this important area, and the Pears Foundation reported earlier this year that the best way to tackle misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy amongst young people is through schools, but that they’ll need much support to do so. We’ll draw some of the key issues out in our members’ implementation tool.
• The September 2024 guidance to help you Plan technology for your school is now referenced in the guidance (para 142). This self-assessment services shows how your school can plan, and use digital technology to keep children safe online, prevent cyber incidents and upgrade & maintain technology in cost-effective ways with recommendations to help meet the digital and technology standards. KCSiE includes a reminder (para 144) to take the appropriate action to meet the cyber security standards and also references January’s guidance on Generative AI which sets out the capabilities and features that should be in place for users in educational settings (para 143).
• There is also a reminder about the checks schools should be undertaking for alternative provision (paras 169-170 and 331), all of which are in the Alternative Provision guidance updated in February 2025. KCSiE 2025 emphasises the need for written confirmation that full safer recruitment steps have been taken on all staff and of arrangements “that might put a child at risk” such as new staff joining the alternative provision so that checks can be made there too. Schools need to know where their students are throughout school hours (i.e. the address where they are being educated). Finally, there is guidance AP placements should be reviewed at least half termly to ensure children are attending, their needs are met and the setting is safe, with the potential that the placement is ended if any concerns are not addressed.
• Paragraphs 184-197, relating to support for children’s mental health have been amended to remove references to funding grant support for senior mental health leads training as this programme has come to an end.
• Working Together to improve school attendance 2024 is statutory guidance, so “schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities must have regard to it as part of their efforts to maintain high levels of school attendance” (WT to improve school attendance, para 1). As such, the wording around children who are absent from education has been revised from “should work with” to schools “must work with… children’s services where school absence indicates safeguarding concerns” (para 177).
• The updated KCSiE 2025 reminds us the role of the virtual school head was extended in March 2024 to promote the education of children with a social worker and children in kinship care (para 199).
• KCSiE 2025 states that guidance on gender questioning children is expected to be published “soon” and KCSiE 25 will be updated (para 204). In the interim, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published an interim update in April 2024 with some of the considerations this will have for schools.
• The diagnosis of ‘autism’ has been amended from ‘autism spectrum disorder’ (para 205) to align with the SEND code of practice.
• Several safer recruitment links in Part 3 have been updated (paras 260, 266, 319 and 331).
• There is a title correction from ‘Employment Practices Code and supplementary guidance’ to The Information Commissioner Employment Practices Code (para 422).
• ‘Shore’ (para 545) is a brilliant new resource we flagged last year where teenagers can go if they are worried about sexual behaviour. It has a really good library of articles and a helpline (5-8pm). It’s run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity working (particularly with people who may offend) to prevent all forms of child sexual abuse.
• In the table of contents for Annex B the title ‘Children missing education’ has been updated to ‘Children who are absent from education’. We have an aligned members’ training pack in our resources.
• There has been a slight change to the description of Operation Encompass (page 155), with text setting out how the process works having been removed. The key information about Operation Encompass has remained the same.
• The note stating the Preventing Radicalisation section is under review (page 157) has been removed without any changes, however a line was in the previous guidance stating extremism includes calling for the death of members of the armed forces has now been removed.
• The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse now has an education specific landing page (page 163) with guides on safety planning, communicating with children, communicating with parents and a range of other resources. We will be launching our Disclosure & Sexual Abuse course shortly to run alongside our Harmful Sexual Behaviour course. Our members’ in-house training pack will run neatly alongside these resources.
• The Children’s Society’s page on Preventing Child Sexual Exploitation has been added to the resources on page 164. We have more information for schools & colleges (together with an in-house training pack for members) in our resource section.

So, although mainly administrative there are quite a few elements to tie up and the real changes are still to come. We will be looking at this in more detail, together with the coming changes for 2025/6 in our webinars and bulletin subscribers will be getting regular updates throughout the year and members will have resources such as INSET training packs, online quizzes and DSL Tools to keep their staff and their setting right up to date, saving hours of preparation time.

We are looking forward to working with you throughout the school year.

Our final free KCSiE 2025 webinar to take you through the changes has spaces available.

Click on date to reserve your space.

9 September - 4pm

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