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DfE launches consultation on changes to KCSIE

The proposed changes to statutory safeguarding guidance include information on supporting gender-questioning children, and updates on managing mobile phones and AI in school.

Last reviewed on 17 February 2026See updates
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Contents
  1. What's the latest?
  2. New guidance on supporting pupils who are questioning their gender
  3. New expectation for all staff to read part 1 of KCSIE in full
  4. New expectations for child protection policies
  5. Updates to information on specific safeguarding issues
  6. Guidance on mobile phones and AI in school
  7. More information on children potentially at greater risk of harm
  8. Updated guidance on child-on-child sexual harassment and sexual violence
  9. Definition updates and clarifications

What's the latest?

The Department for Education's consultation on changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) has now closed. The results of the consultation will be published along with the government’s response and updated KCSIE guidance for 2026.

We'll let you know when this happens and what the changes means for you.

The consultation proposals are currently draft guidance and not government policy – you shouldn’t follow them yet.

We’ve summarised the most important changes below. For a full list of what’s being proposed, see Annex D of the draft guidance (starting on page 195).

New guidance on supporting pupils who are questioning their gender

We’ll update this article when we know more about the proposed requirements in this section. Remember, the specific