27/08/2026
KCSIE 2026 comes into force on 1 September, and schools need to review several parts of safer recruitment and staff safeguarding before the new term begins.
One of the most significant changes for recruitment sits within the rules on regulated activity.
From September, the previous supervision exemption for volunteers is removed.
Volunteers who teach, train, instruct or supervise children frequently, on more than 3 days in a 30-day period, or overnight can now fall within regulated activity.
This changes when enhanced DBS checks with children's barred list information are required, so volunteer and vetting procedures need to reflect the new threshold.
There's also a wider expectation around safeguarding knowledge.
Every member of staff must now read Part One of KCSIE in full, including staff who don't work directly with children.
The condensed version previously provided in Annex A has been removed.
Other changes schools will need to factor into September safeguarding training and policies include new guidance on young carers and children with medical conditions, updated guidance for children who are questioning their gender, more detail on mental health, strengthened guidance around child-on-child abuse, and explicit recognition of AI-generated n**e or semi-n**e imagery, including deepfakes.
For leaders reviewing recruitment and induction over the summer, it's a useful point to check that safer recruitment policies, volunteer arrangements, DBS decisions and staff safeguarding training are ready for 1 September.
Talent Education keeps its vetting and safeguarding processes aligned with the current KCSIE requirements, giving the schools we work with confidence that the checks behind each placement are up to date.
