The updates to KCSIE 2024 were published on 2 September 2024 and mainly include changes to the wording. There are no dramatic changes to KCSIE 2023, and the summary from Classroom365 explains each of the 5 key parts.
Here, we summarise the 4 key changes to KCSIE 2024 and how they will affect schools’ safeguarding of pupils and staff.
- Exploitation – Now included more comprehensively so “abuse and neglect” becomes “abuse, neglect and exploitation”.
- Updated definition – New emphasis on early help and promoting the welfare of children.
- Terminology changes – Clarification about school absences and changes in context.
- Data protection – Clarifying schools’ responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Act 2018 regarding handling personal information in compliance with UK GDPR.
Schools should review their child protection and safeguarding policies to align with the Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 changes. One of the minor updates clarifies staff responsibilities regarding filtering, monitoring, and online safety in schools. We discuss this on our podcast.
Updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024
Here, we break down the key changes in KCSIE 2024.
Updated definition
The first main change is the updated definition of “safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.” This now aligns with the DfE Working to Safeguard Children 2023 guidance, which was updated in December 2023.
Early help intervention is expanded to reflect the guidance, and schools should be alert to any child with multiple absences or suspensions and how a child is affected by parental offending.
Exploitation
Throughout the updated guidance, where “abuse and neglect” was referenced, this has been changed to “abuse, neglect and exploitation”. Additional text – ‘including where they see, hear, or experience its effects’ has been added where domestic violence is referenced.
Terminology changes
The wording “deliberately missing education” has been changed to “unexplainable and/or persistent absences”. This shifts the causes from victim blaming to understanding why children are missing education.
Another change concerns children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning their gender. This has been updated to comply with gender questioning guidance, although it is still under review. Refer to paragraphs 205 – 209 of the complete statutory guidance for KCSIE 2024 from the Department of Education.
Data protection
A reference has been included for staff to use the DfE’s data protection in school guidance to help them comply with UK GDPR policies and data protection legislation.
Schools should refer to this documentation for best practices to prevent data breaches.
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KCSIE 2024 Changes in Summary
The KCSIE changes for 2024 does not include many updates from 2023. They are mainly changes in the text to improve inclusivity and alignment with existing safeguarding guidance and best practices for schools. Schools can keep updated with further updates here as they are released.
Mark Friend, BSc (Hons), is a Company Director at Classroom365 and has worked in technology for nearly 30 years. His IT career started with Rothschild Bank in Sydney, Australia, before working as a Global VPN Project Manager for the British Council. Mark has 20 years of experience in the UK education sector, helping schools integrate the latest tech into their curriculum and ICT vision.