Final version of Keeping Children Safe in Education- Sept 2026

On September 1^st at one minute past midnight , the DfE released the final version of KCSIE 2026. It is largely unchanged from the draft version released in July. However, there are a few important changes:

Prejudice-based harm

In new paragraph 17 (which is repeated in a new paragraph 32) there is additional information on the impact of prejudice-based harm. It states:

“All staff should recognise that children may experience prejudice-based harm, including racism, faith-based prejudice, and other forms of discrimination. Such experiences may affect a child's welfare, wellbeing, mental health, and willingness to seek help. Staff should be alert to the signs and impact of prejudice-based harm and ensure that concerns are considered within safeguarding practice where appropriate.”

Then “discriminatory behaviour, including racism, faith-targeted abuse, and other prejudice-based incidents”  has been added to the list of forms of child-on-child abuse.

I feel that this is an important addition. This form of harm is an attack on who a child is and their sense of self while at the same time being based on stereotypes with the purpose of intimidation and  ‘othering’ which may have little to do with the child’s own experience. For example, Jews or Muslims being blamed for the actions of the governments in Israel, Afghanistan or elsewhere when they have no personal links to those countries,  may  oppose the government’s actions or even be refugees escaping them, simply because they share a faith. Prejudice and faith-based discrimination and bullying have a significant, and often complex, impact on the individual Although it may seem insignificant and hard to understand for those outside the situation. A reminder that all staff  should take this seriously and view it through a safeguarding lens feels timely.

Definition of sexual abuse

Paragraph 27 further clarifies the definition of rape and assault by penetration. It also continues the definition of sexual abuse with a reminder that “Children can be sexually abused within the family, an institution or a community setting, and are more likely to know their abuser than not.”

It continues with a reminder that children under 13 cannot give consent for sexual activity and that there are specific offences which make clear that sexual activity with a child under 16 is an offence, regardless of whether they agreed to that activity.

Volunteers working in EYFS settings

The final new paragraph is 386. This links with the statement on page 5 of KCSIE which explicitly links it with EYFS statutory framework. Paragraph 386 picks up 0n the part of EYFS which talks about the volunteers in Early Years Settings and reminds us that volunteers must not be permitted to begin working within the settings covered by the EYFS framework until the school or maintained nursery school has received the volunteer’s enhanced DBS certificate including barred list information.

Flow chart of actions to be taken when there are concerns about a child

This flow chart on pages 27 and 28 has been split into 2. One focusing on the actions to be taken in school and one on the actions to be taken once a referral has been made to social care. This is somewhat clearer than the previous version.

It should be noted that the addition of these paragraphs has impacted the numbering of the subsequent paragraphs.

Actions for schools

·       Add prejudiced-based harm and its impacts to your policy and pick it up in training.

·       Check that you are using the most up to date definitions of sexual abuse in your policies and training, including a focus on consent.

·       If relevant, check that your recruitment and volunteer policies and procedures are clear that no-one staff or volunteers may work in your Early Years setting without an enhanced DBS certificate which includes barred list information. If you currently have any such volunteers, they need to stop working until such checks have been completed.

·       If you include the flow chart in your policy and/or on displays, you need to update it.