Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 Updates

This course details the updates in the 2024 draft document. We will begin with a quick recap before your delve into the lesson which explains these updates. The updates have been provided by Headteacher Chat, a great social network of school leaders.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education (DfE) in England. It outlines the legal duties that apply to all schools and colleges regarding safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children under 18 years old. Here’s a concise overview:

1. Scope and Purpose:
   • KCSIE provides guidance for headteachers, teachers, staff, governing bodies, proprietors, and management committees.
   • Its primary goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people in educational settings.
2. Legal Duties:
   • Schools and colleges must follow KCSIE to comply with the law.
   • When the guidance specifies actions, institutions should adhere to them unless there’s a valid reason not to.
3. Key Areas Covered:
   • Safeguarding: KCSIE emphasises the importance of identifying and addressing risks to children’s safety, including abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
   • Safer Recruitment: It provides guidelines for recruiting staff, including checks, references, and training.
   • Child Protection: KCSIE outlines procedures for handling concerns about child abuse or neglect.
   • Online Safety: It addresses online risks and promotes safe internet use.
   • Peer-on-peer Abuse: Guidance on handling incidents involving students harming each other.
   • Staff Conduct: Expectations for professional behaviour and boundaries.
   • Allegations Against Staff: Procedures for handling allegations of misconduct.
   • Roles and Responsibilities: Clear roles for staff, governors, and designated safeguarding leads.
   • Training and Awareness: Ensuring staff receive appropriate training.
   • Partnership Working: Collaboration with external agencies and parents.
4. Updates and Versions:
   • The most recent version is Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023.
   • The 2024 version is pending publication and will come into force in September 2024.
   • Until then, schools and colleges should continue using the 2023 version.
   • This course details the updates that have been included in the draft for the 2024 version.

In summary, KCSIE provides essential guidance for creating safe and supportive educational environments, emphasising the protection and well-being of children and young people. Schools and colleges play a crucial role in implementing these measures to ensure a secure learning environment for all students.

To get a much more in-depth understanding of KCSIE watch the full course on the Learn platform. Alternatively, read Part 1 of KCSIE which is available on the DfE website and attached in the materials section of this course. You will also find a reflection worksheet which you can use to review your knowledge.

If you are updating your knowledge and gaining awareness of the updates. Please take the lesson and the quiz to gain your certificate for the 2024 updates.

Once you have completed the course, please do click the link to share your feedback with our Learn team: You can feedback to the team here.