The department of education is consulting on proposed changes to the Keeping children safe in education (KSCIE) statutory guidance. We are encouraging parents and carers or those working with school-aged children and young people to have their say on an important safeguarding policy update.
The government’s aims in these proposed changes are to help safeguard and promote the welfare of children and protect children from abuse and neglect. These guidelines are to help staff in education settings identify safeguarding risks and provide procedures for them to follow. The topics are broad and include areas of online safety, child sexual exploitation, cyber security and early prevention of abuse and neglect. The proposed guidelines aim to strengthen safeguarding procedures and broaden the scope of what is considered a safeguarding risk, to help try and achieve earlier intervention, and to protect more children from different forms of abuse, neglect and mistreatment. We welcome the government’s commitment to ensuring children are kept safe.
Before completing the government’s online survey, we would encourage you to read our policy advisor’s summary of the KSCIE guidance and policy direction from the education minister.
Responding to the consultation
The KSCIE policy draft outlines the legal duties that schools and colleges must fulfil, as well as recommended practices for safeguarding. As an organisation, we will submit a response on behalf of our membership, but we want our members to have their individual voices heard too. Our guide will help you respond to this consultation.
The consultation is open until 22 April 2026.
There are 79 questions in the consultation, almost all of which are multiple choice, and many allow for further comment. Our guidance will focus on responses to the following safeguarding issues: serious violence, guidance relating to children who are questioning their gender, opportunities to teach safeguarding, artificial intelligence, and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Serious violence in school
There are five questions relating to the theme of serious violence in the draft proposals, of which are all closed multiple choice questions without room for comment. We have included our suggested answers, but you are welcome to use your own discretion and answer as you wish.
Q25: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “The revised guidance makes it clear that serious violence, including when children are perpetrators, is a safeguarding issue.”
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable/ No opinion
We suggest you answer agree. The updated guidance makes it explicit that serious violence is a safeguarding concern.
Q26: How confident are you that you understand your setting’s responsibilities in identifying and responding to serious violence as a safeguarding issue?
Very confident
Confident
Slightly confident
Not confident
Not applicable/ No opinion
If you are an educator or work in a school or similar setting, feel free to answer as you wish. If a parent and carers, consider if you have seen your child’s school’s policy on this area. If not, it might be most appropriate to answer not confident.
Q27: To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “The guidance supports early identification of risk and outlines appropriate early help or preventative responses.”
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable/ No opinion
Q28: To what extent do you agree that the revised Part one better equips schools and colleges to identify and prevent abuse and violence between children?
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Not applicable/ No opinion
We suggest that you answer questions 27 and 28 according to your own discretion. In our assessment the updated guidance provides clear outlines of what constitutes violence and abuse, and different forms of abuse and violence. It also provides guidance for staff for what they should do in the case of a safeguarding concern. The guidance includes some signs/risk factors to look out for, but this list could be more comprehensive.
Q29: If KCSIE were to include more guidance on recognising and preventing child-on-child violence, what would be most helpful?
Case studies
Checklists
Training resources
Clearer definitions
Partner roles
Other, please specify
Feel free to answer this question as you wish, considering what guidance would allow teachers to better understand and identify child-on-child violence in an education setting.
Questions relating to children who are questioning their gender
The following questions refer to the updated guidance relating to children questioning their gender. The proposed guidance helpfully recognises that children questioning their gender should be considered within a safeguarding framework, but risks children being socially transitioned without parent and carers consent, or at an early age or stage in their gender questioning. The proposed guidance does uphold the UK Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act 2010, maintaining that single-sex spaces, such as bathrooms, changing rooms and accommodation, should only be used by those of that biological sex, regardless of gender identity.
Question 33: Does the updated section of the guidance on children who are questioning their gender provide clarity about the considerations schools and colleges will need to take into account?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
Please explain further (optional):
We suggest you answer no. The guidance acknowledges children questioning their gender identity as a safeguarding risk but leaves unclear guidance on “social transition” and what the role of parent and carers is in making decisions. Engaging with parent and carers should be regarded as a matter of priority, but there are certain circumstances where, if involving parent and carers is seen as a “safeguarding risk”, they may not be consulted on whether the school will socially transition the child. There is no requirement for parent and carers to be informed of a child’s gender questioning thoughts/feelings if they are not requesting a social transition.
We suggest you mention one or more of the following points:
Parent and carers should be involved in all circumstances without caveat and told even in circumstances when the child has not expressed a wish to transition but have disclosed thoughts about gender questioning. Parent and carers should have the ultimate decision on how the school proceeds and whether they socially transition the child.
Where there are wider concerns about a child’s safety at home, these should be addressed as a separate safeguarding concern, through procedures and policies that are in place. This should not stop parent and carers from being informed about their child’s wish to socially transition.
The guidance lacks a clear definition of “social transition” (eg changes to name, pronouns, presentation), leaving schools exposed to inconsistent and risky decision making.
There should be a strong presumption against social transition in school settings, except where it is clearly and demonstrably pastorally necessary, time-limited, and subject to designated safeguarding lead oversight and parent and carers involvement. This is especially important in primary schools, where social boundaries are easily blurred and “socially transitioned” children lack the maturity to understand why they cannot access same-sex spaces or grasp the long-term implications of identity affirmation. The guidance should not allow social transition in primary schools.
The Cass Review highlights that social transition is not a neutral act and that children who socially transition are significantly more likely to proceed to medical transition, underscoring the need for caution.
Allowing name changes without corresponding pronoun changes risks creating confusion and emotional incongruence for children; schools should avoid adopting alternative names that function as de facto transition.
Clearer thresholds, age-specific guidance and explicit limits on social transition are needed to protect children, respect parent and carers responsibility and ensure safeguarding decisions are proportionate and consistent.
Q34: Do paragraphs 104–115 provide clarity for schools and colleges about their legal obligations relating to toilets, changing rooms, and boarding and residential accommodation?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
Please explain further (optional):
We suggest you answer yes, as the guidance is clear that no-one should access toilets, changing rooms and boarding/residential accommodation assigned to the opposite biological sex, regardless of their gender identity.
In your own words you could include one of the following points:
Agreement with the guidance in affirming that maintaining single-sex spaces in toilets, changing rooms and accommodation according to biological sex is the best way to maintain the safety, comfort and privacy of all children.
Agreeing that where there are children questioning their gender, the best option is to provide an alternative, such as self-contained individual toilets, to best maintain the safety of that child, but without comprising the provision of single-sex spaces.
That colleges should be encouraged to comply, as the proposed guidance is not a legal requirement for colleges.
That schools should try and ensure single-sex provision for children younger than 8 and 11 for toilets and changing rooms respectively, as they are only legally required to provide from those ages upwards.
Q35: Do paragraphs 94-97 provide clarity for schools and colleges about the circumstances in which the school is justified in having a policy of single-sex sports?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
Please explain further (optional):
We suggest that you answer no. The guidance recognises that maintaining single-sex sports is in line with the Equality Act 2010, but states that there could be provisions made to allow individuals who are gender questioning to partake in sport of the opposite biological sex, in order to aid with social transition.
You could take one or two points below and expand using your own school’s or child’s experience:
The guidance maintains that where sports are separated by biological sex due to safety concerns, this must be upheld, but it is not clear what constitutes a safety concern, and this is left to the school’s discretion.
The guidance is confusing and at times contradictory, as the Equality Act 2010 maintains that “where the physical strength, stamina or physique of the average girl would put her at a disadvantage in competition with the average boy (or vice versa)”, maintaining single-sex sports on the basis of biological sex is not discriminatory. Making exceptions where it is deemed to be safe negates the ways in which (usually) girls will be put at a disadvantage playing against someone of the opposite biological sex.
There should not be exceptions in sports, as maintaining single-sex sports (where they are played as such) is in the best interests of children to maintain safety and fairness.
Opportunities to teach safeguarding
These questions refer to the guidelines on teaching safeguarding, which have been updated. There are only multiple-choice questions.
Q36: Do you agree that including references to “racism” and “derogatory behaviour” in paragraph 153 of the KCSIE guidance is helpful?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
We suggest you answer yes. The new references are included in preventative education that will create a zero-tolerance culture for “racism” and “derogatory behaviour” including sexism, sexual violence, homophobia and physical violence and conflict towards other pupils or staff.
Q37: Are the new links to RSHE resources helpful for schools and colleges?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
We would suggest answering no. Although there is an online response page linked on the gov.uk website, we believe it is a missed opportunity to include faith-based materials on topics of identity, sex, relationships and friendship. In meetings with education department officials, we have made this point and signposted several member organisations that produce great online resources for children of all faiths or none.
Artificial intelligence
This refers to the new guidance about generative AI. This includes training material and guidance for teachers and educators on using generative AI in assisting lesson planning, using generative AI with students and identifying AI use in homework.
Q38: Do you support the inclusion of references to the DfE’s generative artificial intelligence policy and resources within KCSIE, to help schools and colleges understand their safeguarding responsibilities when using AI tools?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
We suggest you answer yes. The guidance linked provides training resources for staff and educators for use of generative AI.
Q39: In your view, does this addition provide sufficient clarity and support for managing risks related to ethics, data protection, and safeguarding in AI use?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
Free text (optional):
We would suggest you answer no. Whilst there is information on all of the above, there is some lack of clarity in safeguarding and ethics.
We would encourage you to mention one or more of the following in your own words:
The need for more directive and clear guidance about identifying AI for students, as well as encouraging learning scenarios where AI cannot be used.
The need for further guidance for safeguarding children when they are using generative AI from being exposed to explicit content, as well as in identifying AI generated material and helping students engage critically with AI.
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
This question refers to new paragraphs that include additional barriers children with SEND face, which can help with early identification of neglect or abuse or safeguarding concerns.
Q45: Do you think the expansion of the list of additional barriers children with SEND can face is helpful?
Yes
No
Not applicable/ No opinion
Please explain your answer (optional):
We suggest you answer yes.
The expanded list of the barriers for children SEND highlights how they may face additional risks, and helps prevent safeguarding concerns or aid earlier intervention.
