Source: Department for Education published on this web site Tuesday 1 September 2026
‘Keeping children safe in education 2026’ sets out the legal duties that schools and colleges must comply with to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18.
It applies to all schools and colleges, and is intended for:
- headteachers, teachers and school staff
- governing bodies, proprietors and management committees
All staff must:
- read ‘Keeping children safe in education 2026: part one’ in full
- follow their school’s or college’s safeguarding policies and procedures.
‘Keeping children safe in education 2026: part one – overview for all staff’ is a summary of part one. It is intended to be a complementary, quick reference and not to replace any part of the guidance.
We have removed the shorter version of part one from Annex A. This means that:
- all staff now follow the same safeguarding expectations
- governing bodies and proprietors should make sure that all staff, including those who do not work directly with children, read part one
A full summary of the changes introduced in ‘Keeping children safe in education 2026’ is available in Annex C.
