KCSIE 2026 Readiness Checklist for Schools

Q: What are the main changes in KCSIE 2026?

The official summary covers removal of the condensed Annex A, Family Help and multi-agency working, expanded safeguarding risks, DSL cover, online safety and AI, regulated-activity changes, and rewritten harmful sexual behaviour guidance.

Q: Do all staff need to read KCSIE Part One in full?

Yes. KCSIE 2026 removed the shorter Part One previously placed in Annex A. All staff should read Part One in full; the DfE overview complements but does not replace it.

Q: Do governors and trustees have to read Part Two?

Part Two sets out board responsibilities. KCSIE requires appropriate safeguarding and child-protection training for all governors and trustees at induction, updated regularly, but does not prescribe a separate individual Part Two reading declaration.

Q: How often should filtering and monitoring be reviewed?

Filtering and monitoring effectiveness should be reviewed at least once every academic year, supported by the DSL and IT support, with a record kept of the checks.

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 came into force on 1 September 2026 and replaced the previous edition. Schools and colleges in England should now use the September 2026 guidance for safeguarding policy, staff reading, training, safer recruitment, filtering and monitoring, and governance assurance.

This checklist is for headteachers, designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), governors and trustees. It helps a school record what has been reviewed, what evidence exists and what still needs an owner. It is a readiness aid, not legal advice or a compliance guarantee; the current KCSIE publication on GOV.UK remains the source of truth.

What changed in KCSIE 2026 (and what didn't)

DfE's summary at Annex C describes substantive changes that strengthen or clarify existing content, update multi-agency working and add material on violence against women and girls. The changes most relevant to a school readiness review include:

One Part One reading expectation for all staff. The former condensed Part One in Annex A has been removed. All staff, including staff who do not work directly with children, should read Part One in full. DfE also publishes a short overview, but states that it complements rather than replaces Part One.
Revised early-help language and processes. The guidance distinguishes universal and community-based early help from targeted early help delivered through Family Help, with updated assessment and referral material.
Expanded safeguarding risks. Part One expands content on modern slavery, child criminal and sexual exploitation, mental health, serious violence, emotional and sexual abuse, and child-on-child abuse.
Stronger management guidance. Part Two adds material on sport, safeguarding requirements relating to school premises, robust DSL cover, information sharing, mobile-phone policy, generative AI, filtering and monitoring, boarding and residential accommodation, alternative provision, young carers, medical conditions and barriers faced by children with SEND.
Safer-recruitment changes. Part Three reflects the Crime and Policing Act 2026 changes to regulated activity, including removal of the former supervision exemption, and updates material on volunteers, work experience, visitors and DBS checks.
Harmful sexual behaviour and image-sharing. Part Five was substantially rewritten and confirms that sharing nude or semi-nude images requires a safeguarding response whether consensual or non-consensual.

Core governance responsibilities remain. Governing bodies and proprietors still have strategic leadership responsibility for safeguarding, must ensure policies and procedures are effective, and should ensure governors and trustees receive appropriate safeguarding and child-protection training at induction, updated regularly.

The KCSIE 2026 readiness checklist

1. Review and republish the safeguarding policy for 2026–27

Confirm the child-protection policy reflects the current guidance and local safeguarding-partner arrangements. KCSIE says it should be reviewed at least annually and updated when needed. Record the governing body's approval and confirm the current version is publicly available.

2. Confirm every member of staff has read Part One in full

Do not allocate the former condensed Annex A to staff without direct pupil contact. Record that every staff member has read the September 2026 Part One in full and understands the school's own safeguarding procedures. The DfE overview may support a briefing, but it is not a substitute.

3. Confirm the board understands its Part Two responsibilities

Part Two sets out the responsibilities of governing bodies, proprietors and management committees. Confirm the board has reviewed the responsibilities relevant to its setting and that all governors and trustees have received appropriate safeguarding and online-safety training at induction, with regular updates. Avoid claiming KCSIE imposes a separate individual Part Two reading declaration where the guidance does not say that.

4. Check the DSL role, authority and cover arrangements

The DSL should be an appropriate senior member of staff with the status and authority to carry out the role. Check the job description, deputy arrangements and confidential cover process. KCSIE 2026 adds expectations around robust cover when the DSL is unavailable.

5. Confirm DSL training is within the two-year update cycle

Annex B says DSL and deputy training should be updated at least every two years, alongside Prevent awareness training and ongoing knowledge updates. Record the last formal training date, the next due date and relevant updates received between formal courses.

6. Refresh staff training and local procedures

All staff should receive safeguarding and child-protection training, including online safety, at induction. Training should be regularly updated, with further safeguarding updates provided as required and at least annually. Make the 2026 changes and the school's reporting route part of the 2026–27 briefing record.

7. Recheck safer recruitment and the Single Central Record

Review recruitment procedures against Part Three, particularly the revised regulated-activity rules for volunteers and the updated references to trainee teachers and third-party organisations. Cross-check the SCR against the current staff list and retain written agency confirmations where required.

8. Review filtering and monitoring for the academic year

KCSIE 2026 says governing bodies and proprietors should ensure the effectiveness of filtering and monitoring is reviewed at least once every academic year. The responsible senior leader should conduct the review with DSL and IT support, check relevant devices and locations, and keep a record of the checks.

9. Record challenge, decisions and follow-up

Board minutes should show the evidence considered, questions asked, possible gaps identified, owners agreed and completion dates. A generic note that a safeguarding update was received is weaker than a record of what the board checked and what happened next.

Evidence to keep together

A practical readiness record may include:

the approved 2026–27 child-protection policy and relevant governing-body minute;
staff Part One reading and briefing records;
governor and trustee induction or update-training records;
DSL and deputy training dates, job descriptions and cover arrangements;
the filtering and monitoring effectiveness review and recorded follow-up;
SCR assurance and any actions arising from the check; and
a dated action log for changes identified through the 2026 update.

Edvance can help schools organise policy review, meeting evidence, action ownership and inspection-readiness records. It does not interpret individual safeguarding cases, replace the DSL or certify compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did KCSIE 2026 come into force?

KCSIE 2026 came into force on 1 September 2026 and replaced the previous edition. Schools and colleges in England should now use the 2026 guidance.

What are the main changes in KCSIE 2026?

The official summary covers changes across every part of the guidance. Major themes include removal of the condensed Annex A, Family Help and multi-agency working, expanded safeguarding risks, DSL cover and information sharing, online safety and generative AI, regulated-activity changes, and rewritten harmful sexual behaviour guidance.

Do all staff need to read KCSIE Part One in full?

Yes. The 2026 edition removed the shorter Part One previously placed in Annex A. All staff, including those who do not work directly with children, should read Part One in full. DfE's overview is complementary and does not replace that reading.

Do governors and trustees have to read Part Two?

Part Two sets out the board's safeguarding responsibilities and should be followed by governing bodies and proprietors. KCSIE specifically requires appropriate safeguarding and child-protection training for all governors and trustees at induction, updated regularly. Boards should ensure members understand the Part Two duties without inventing a separate reading declaration.

How often should DSL training be updated?

KCSIE 2026 Annex B says DSL and deputy training should be updated at least every two years. DSLs and deputies should also receive ongoing updates and undertake Prevent awareness training.

How often should filtering and monitoring be reviewed?

The effectiveness of filtering and monitoring should be reviewed at least once every academic year. The review should involve the responsible senior leader, DSL and IT support, include checks across relevant devices and locations, and be recorded.

What should governors check about the Single Central Record?

Governors should seek assurance that the SCR covers the required people, records the required pre-appointment checks and is kept current. Routine line-by-line operational checking is normally for school leaders rather than the board.

This article provides general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Confirm requirements against the current KCSIE 2026 guidance and seek appropriate professional advice where needed.