Keeping Children Safe in Education
(Updates 2026)
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Effective from 1 September 2026
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is statutory guidance issued by the Department for Education. It sets out the legal duties and responsibilities that schools and colleges must follow to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
At The Rowans AP Academy, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils is everyone's responsibility. We maintain a strong safeguarding culture based on the principle that “it could happen here”, ensuring that the best interests of the child remain at the centre of our practice.
What is changing for 2026?
KCSIE 2026 strengthens and clarifies a number of areas of safeguarding practice. The guidance continues to emphasise the importance of early identification, professional curiosity, effective information sharing and prompt action whenever there are concerns about a child.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility
All staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which children can learn and develop.
Staff at The Rowans receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training and regular updates to ensure they understand their responsibilities and know how to recognise, respond to and report concerns.
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation
Staff must remain alert to the different ways in which children can experience abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Safeguarding concerns may arise within the home, school, peer groups, relationships, the local community or online. Children may also experience more than one form of harm at the same time.
Staff are expected to remain professionally curious and recognise that safeguarding concerns may present through changes in a child's:
- Behaviour or emotional wellbeing
- Attendance or patterns of absence
- Friendships and relationships
- Engagement with education
- Appearance or presentation
- Use of technology or social media
- Mental health and wellbeing.
Child-on-Child Abuse, Harassment and Violence
The Rowans recognises that children can abuse other children and that this can occur both inside and outside school and online.
This can include bullying, cyberbullying, physical abuse, sexual harassment, sexual violence, harmful sexual behaviour, coercive or controlling behaviour, abuse within intimate relationships and other forms of harassment or violence.
We maintain a culture in which inappropriate, abusive or harmful behaviour is challenged and never dismissed as “banter”, “part of growing up” or an inevitable part of childhood.
Online Safety and Artificial Intelligence
Technology continues to play a significant role in many safeguarding concerns.
Children may experience harm through social media, messaging platforms, gaming, online communities and other digital environments.
KCSIE 2026 also recognises emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), including the creation or manipulation of self-generated intimate images and videos, such as AI-generated deepfakes.
The Rowans supports pupils to understand online risks, make safe choices and know how and where to seek help if something makes them feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe.
Misogyny and Violence Against Women and Girls
KCSIE 2026 strengthens the recognition of misogyny and harmful attitudes and behaviours that may contribute to harassment, abuse or violence.
At The Rowans, discriminatory, degrading, abusive or harmful language and behaviour is challenged. Through safeguarding, relationships education and our wider curriculum, we support pupils to develop respectful, healthy and appropriate relationships.
Attendance and Safeguarding
Attendance is an important part of safeguarding.
Repeated or prolonged absence from education can sometimes be an indicator that a child is experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation or another safeguarding concern.
The Rowans works closely with pupils, parents and carers and relevant professionals to understand barriers to attendance and identify where additional help, support or safeguarding intervention may be required.
Family Help
Providing the right support at the right time can prevent difficulties from escalating.
Staff are alert to children and families who may benefit from universal services, community-based early help or more targeted Family Help.
Where concerns arise, The Rowans works collaboratively with families and partner agencies to ensure that appropriate support is identified and accessed as early as possible.
Contextual Safeguarding and Exploitation
We recognise that safeguarding risks do not only occur within the family home.
Children may experience harm through their peer groups, relationships, neighbourhoods, schools, communities or online. Risks may include child criminal exploitation, child sexual exploitation, county lines, serious violence, gang-related activity, grooming and other forms of extra-familial harm.
Our safeguarding approach considers the wider circumstances, relationships and environments surrounding each child.
Information Sharing and Record Keeping
Effective information sharing is essential to safeguarding children.
Staff understand that data protection legislation does not prevent information being shared where it is necessary and proportionate to safeguard a child.
Safeguarding concerns are recorded appropriately, including the concern identified, actions taken, decisions made, the reasons for those decisions and relevant outcomes.
Responding to Concerns
All concerns about a child's welfare are taken seriously.
Staff must act immediately if they have a safeguarding concern and follow The Rowans' safeguarding and child protection procedures, including reporting concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL).
Where there is an immediate risk of serious harm, appropriate emergency services and safeguarding agencies will be contacted without delay.
The Rowans works closely with Medway Children's Social Care, the Police, Health services and other safeguarding partners to ensure that children receive appropriate help, support and protection.
Our Commitment
At The Rowans AP Academy, we are committed to creating a culture where pupils feel safe, listened to and able to speak to a trusted adult.
We will:
- Listen to children and take their concerns seriously
- Ensure pupils know how and where to seek help
- Teach pupils how to recognise and manage risks, including online risks
- Identify concerns and vulnerabilities as early as possible
- Respond promptly and appropriately to safeguarding concerns
- Challenge harmful, discriminatory and abusive behaviour
- Work in partnership with parents, carers and professionals
- Share information appropriately when this is necessary to safeguard a child
- Ensure safeguarding remains at the heart of our policies, practice and decision-making.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. If you are worried about a child, it is important to share your concern.
You can find the full Keeping Children Safe in Education document here;