KCSIE 2026: 5 changes schools should be aware of right now 

The new Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance is now in force – but what are the changes schools need to know about? 

From new requirements around AI and mobile phones to changes affecting volunteers and safeguarding records, there are plenty of changes for schools to get to grips with.  

Annex C of the guidance sets them all out, section by section – but in the meantime, we asked Al Kingsley MBE, CEO of NetSupport, to cut through the detail and highlight five key things to be aware of as you prepare to implement KCSIE 2026. 

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1. Part one of KCSIE must now be read by all staff, not just those working directly with children.  

Previously, only the staff in direct contact with students needed to read this section in full. For 2026 though, your school’s governing bodies and proprietors will need to ensure that everyone reads Part one at their induction to their role, including catering, site maintenance and administrative members of staff. 

2. Recruitment rules have tightened for volunteers. 

Volunteers play an important part in education, with schools often welcoming them onto the premises to train, instruct or supervise their students. However, volunteers will now fall under ‘regulated activity’ and require pre-appointment and DBS checks. In light of this, your school will also need to review its current volunteers and whether their existing vetting covers the new requirements or needs to be updated. 

3. Schools are expected to be phone-free environments “by default”.  

The guidance plainly states that students should have no access to phones “during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime”. It adds that any exception to this would need to be clearly justified. So, if your school is yet to implement a fully phone-free environment, now is the time to expedite your plans. 

4. AI is named as a safeguarding issue.  

This covers both students using generative AI (including AI-generated nudes and semi-nudes, sometimes called ‘deepfakes’) and staff use of AI tools. So, be sure to check your school’s online safety policies, staff training and filtering and monitoring systems with this in mind. In addition (and to further increase security around AI), a named senior leader must now check and review your school’s filtering and monitoring systems annually – and you need to keep a written record of that review. 

5. Information-sharing and safeguarding record duties are clearer.  

With all the rules around data protection and confidentiality, it has sometimes been difficult for staff to judge whether they are allowed to share sensitive information or not. So, this year’s KCSIE sets out clearer details about information sharing (paragraphs 138-150) that aim to give staff more confidence to act when they need to do so. 

Also on information sharing, there’s a requirement for child protection files to transfer to a new school within five days (whether that’s for an in-year move or at the start of a new term) – plus, there’s a stronger expectation that schools will have clear cover arrangements for when its designated safeguarding lead is unavailable. 

The new term awaits 

Attending to these five points will certainly set you off on the right foot, and then, as things settle down, I’d encourage everyone to dedicate some time to ensuring your school meets the wider guidance where appropriate.  

We all know that, in our critical role as educators, we not only need to provide a safe environment for students to learn and thrive but also be empowered to take action to reach out to others when a safeguarding issue falls outside the school’s remit. KCSIE covers all this – and more.  

As society becomes more complex and technology evolves, it’s often said, but safeguarding children has never been more important than it is now. This guidance is a real support to helping your school do just that. 

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About Al Kingsley and NetSupport 

Al Kingsley MBE is CEO of NetSupport, a BESA member and leading provider of education and corporate software solutions, with around 22 million users worldwide. 

Al has 30 years’ experience in EdTech and digital safeguarding, combining his experience as an EdTech vendor with a number of voluntary roles across the education sector. He regularly speaks internationally on the effective use of technology to support educational outcomes, online safety, digital citizenship and digital strategy. 

NetSupport’s solutions span IT management, classroom management and safeguarding, helping schools and other organisations manage and maximise their use of technology. 

Backed by BESA, NetSupport is committed to the standards set out in our Code of Practice, designed to give educators confidence when working with education suppliers.