The Department for Education has published the draft version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 on the 7th July, giving schools and academies early sight of the changes set to come into force from 1st September. While the final statutory guidance will be confirmed later in the summer, this draft version gives education leaders the opportunity to review and prepare for new requirements ahead of the autumn term.
This update reflects the continued evolution of safeguarding practice in a rapidly changing digital and social landscape, including key policy developments and enhanced guidance around online safety, attendance and inclusion.
Online Safety: Tackling Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories
One key update is the inclusion of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories as recognised online harms (paragraph 135). This acknowledges the increasing impact these can have on young people’s wellbeing and highlights the importance of schools addressing these issues head-on through their safeguarding and online safety policies.
Filtering, Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence
The guidance around filtering and monitoring (paragraphs 142 to 144) has been strengthened. Schools are now encouraged to make use of the Department for Education’s “Plan Technology for Your School” tool and keep up with new advice on Generative AI. There’s also a clear nod to improving cyber security standards to help schools protect themselves from digital threats.
Attendance Guidance Now a Legal Requirement
The document Working Together to Improve School Attendance from 2022 has now been made statutory (paragraph 177). This means schools and academies must ensure they submit daily attendance registers to the Department for Education consistently and accurately, so robust systems need to be in place.
RSHE and Gender Questioning Guidance Coming Soon
The draft confirms that updated guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) and support for gender questioning children will be published later this summer (paragraph 128). These new resources will be included in the final KCSIE 2025 guidance expected in September.
Responsibilities Around Alternative Provision
It is now clearer that schools remain responsible for safeguarding pupils placed in alternative provision (AP) settings (paragraphs 169 to 170 and 331). Schools will need to get written confirmation that AP providers have carried out appropriate checks and will report any concerns.
Virtual School Heads to Support Children in Kinship Care
The role of Virtual School Heads has been extended to include children in kinship care, broadening support beyond just looked after children.
Updated Language for SEND
Language around Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) has been reviewed to ensure it is inclusive and accurate. Terms like “disorder” and “spectrum” have been removed, aligning with the SEND Code of Practice.
Looking Ahead
Annex F points to future developments, such as:
• The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
• Findings from the Group based Child Sexual Exploitation Inquiry
• Ongoing work addressing violence against women and girls
What Should You Do Next?
Although the draft is not yet final, it is a good time to:
• Review your online safety and filtering policies, particularly how you handle misinformation and AI
• Make sure your systems for daily attendance reporting are solid
• Update your safeguarding policies to reflect changes around alternative provision, SEND language, and Virtual School Head responsibilities
• Start thinking about how you will implement the forthcoming RSHE and gender questioning guidance
Where to Access the Draft
You can view the full draft of KCSIE 2025 here:
Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 – GOV.UK