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The Department for Education has published the updated Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, known as KCSIE 2025. It came into effect on 1st September and brings a mix of statutory changes, new risk areas and important clarifications. This isn’t just a policy update. It’s a shift in how schools and colleges across the country must approach safeguarding, attendance, technology and pupil wellbeing.
In this article, we break down the biggest changes and explain what they mean in practice. Whether you work in the classroom, SLT or support roles, knowing your responsibilities under KCSIE 2025 is essential.
1. Attendance is now statutory
Attendance is no longer just a pastoral issue - it is now a safeguarding concern backed by statutory guidance. KCSIE 2025 confirms that schools must follow the Working together to improve school attendance guidance as a legal requirement, not a recommendation.
This means staff need to take an active role in identifying patterns of absence that may indicate wider concerns. Persistent or unexplained absence can be a red flag for neglect, abuse, or exploitation. Schools must have systems in place to follow up on every instance and ensure no pupil slips through the net.
Key trends & statistics
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In the 2024/25 academic year to date, overall absence rate in state‑funded schools was 6.5%, with secondary schools at around 8.0%, primary at 5.2%, and special schools as high as 12.7%. Parliament Research Briefings
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“Severely absent” pupils (those missing at least 50% of possible classes) numbered over 170,000 in England in 2023‑24, about 2.3% of pupils – a record high. The Guardian
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Persistent absence (missing 10% or more of sessions) remains high: approx 20% of pupils were persistently absent in 2023‑24. The Guardian+1
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Rates are much higher for disadvantaged pupils: children with EHCPs, pupils eligible for free school meals, those with SEND, and pupils from certain regions (e.g. North of England) are disproportionately affected. E.g. persistent absence among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds can rise above 35–37%. N8 Research Partnership+2SSS Learning Limited+2
What to do now:
- Ensure all staff understand the safeguarding implications of absence
- Implement proactive attendance monitoring systems
- Make referrals when thresholds are met, especially for repeated or concerning absences
- Liaise with the local authority and children’s social care when necessary
Attendance is now every educator’s responsibility, not just the admin team’s.
2. Online safety: misinformation and conspiracy risks added
In today's digital world, the threats facing young people have changed. KCSIE 2025 now highlights misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories as content-based risks that schools must actively safeguard against. This reflects a wider societal shift in how young people consume and trust information online.
It’s not just about filtering and blocking harmful websites. Schools must now equip pupils with critical thinking skills to help them question what they see, challenge online narratives, and protect themselves from manipulation.
What to do now:
- Update your RSHE and computing curricula to include media literacy
- Review how your school approaches digital resilience and online critical thinking
- Ensure your filtering and monitoring systems align with expectations set out in paragraph 140 of KCSIE 2025
- Support staff in understanding online harms and how to respond to pupil disclosures
Online safety is no longer limited to cyberbullying or explicit content. It's about preparing pupils to navigate a complex, fast-moving digital world safely.
3. Generative AI: new guidance for safe and responsible use
AI is rapidly becoming part of school life. From automated lesson planning to chatbot assistants and data analytics, schools are exploring new tools to support learning and reduce workload. But alongside opportunity comes risk.
KCSIE 2025 specifically addresses generative AI and urges schools to adopt a cautious, well-informed approach. Risks include data protection breaches, inappropriate content generation, bias in AI responses, and dependency without understanding.
What to do now:
- Develop a staff-facing AI use policy that includes safeguarding and data protection
- Offer CPD or information sessions on how generative AI tools like ChatGPT work and where the risks lie
- Review how AI is currently used in your school - are pupils accessing these tools? Are staff relying on them without oversight?
- Involve your DSL and data protection officer in all AI-related decisions
Using AI responsibly means knowing when it enhances education and when it undermines it. Schools must lead the way in modelling safe, ethical use.
4. Alternative provision: clearer expectations for quality and consistency
More pupils than ever are being educated outside of mainstream classrooms, whether temporarily or permanently. KCSIE 2025 sets a firmer expectation: schools must ensure that any alternative provision used meets the same safeguarding and quality standards.
Schools are still responsible for pupils placed in alternative settings. You must have clear oversight of the provision, ensure safeguarding policies are in place, and keep communication open with staff at the alternative setting.
What to do now:
- Review your contracts or agreements with all alternative providers
- Obtain written confirmation that all staff working with your pupils have passed the required safeguarding checks
- Arrange regular reviews and in-person visits to settings
- Maintain clear records of pupil placements, attendance, progress, and any safeguarding concerns
Alternative provision is not a way to delegate responsibility, it’s a shared safeguarding commitment that schools must lead on.
5. Virtual School Heads and kinship care responsibilities clarified
Children in kinship care, under child arrangement orders, or in special guardianship may not always be visible in standard safeguarding systems. KCSIE 2025 reinforces the need to support these children with the same vigilance given to looked-after children.
The role of Virtual School Heads (VSHs) is now clarified. They should be involved in promoting the educational outcomes of children in kinship care, working alongside schools to ensure support is consistent and needs-led.
What to do now:
- Update your safeguarding register to include children in kinship or informal care arrangements
- Liaise with your local VSH to access additional training, support, or funding
- Ensure designated teachers understand how to support these pupils and record interventions appropriately
- Include kinship care in your Pupil Premium Plus strategy and pastoral support plans where appropriate
These children may not have official 'looked-after' status, but their vulnerabilities are just as real. Schools must be proactive in their support.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Are schools legally required to follow KCSIE 2025?
Yes. Some sections of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 are statutory from 1 September. Schools must comply with the parts that are law, especially in attendance, safeguarding, and online safety.
What is persistent absence under KCSIE 2025?
Persistent absence is missing 10% or more of school sessions (or similar thresholds defined in law and guidance). Schools must monitor it, identify pupils at risk, and intervene accordingly.
How should schools respond to misinformation and conspiracy theories online?
Schools should update online safety policies, integrate digital literacy, critical thinking and media skills into curricula, and ensure staff are equipped to guide pupils through evaluating what they read or see.
What oversight do schools have over alternative provision?
Schools remain legally responsible for the safeguarding, safety and education of pupils placed in alternative provision. That includes written safeguards from providers, regular visits, and tracking of attendance, welfare and progress.
What role do Virtual School Heads play under KCSIE 2025?
While not all their responsibilities are statutory, KCSIE clarifies that VSHs should proactively support children in kinship care and similar arrangements, promoting educational achievement and wellbeing in collaboration with schools.
How should schools manage the use of generative AI safely?
Schools should establish clear policies for AI use, ensure staff oversight, address risks such as bias or inappropriate content, involve data protection officers, and train both staff and pupils on rights and responsibilities.
