Understanding safeguarding in schools is essential for teachers, teaching assistants, school leaders, support staff and anyone who works with children. Safeguarding is about protecting children from harm, promoting their welfare and ensuring that concerns about their safety are identified and responded to appropriately.
In England, safeguarding responsibilities are set out through statutory guidance including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and Working Together to Safeguard Children. The current KCSIE 2026 guidance came into force on 1 September 2026, while the 2026 version of Working Together to Safeguard Children provides the framework for multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.
Safeguarding is not the responsibility of one person alone. Everyone working in a school has a role to play in recognising concerns, following school procedures and taking appropriate action to help keep children safe.
What Is Safeguarding in Schools?
Safeguarding in schools refers to the policies, procedures, practices and responsibilities used to protect children and promote their welfare.
It includes preventing and responding to different forms of harm, including abuse, neglect and exploitation. It also involves creating a safe school environment where children can learn, develop and ask for help when they need it.
Under the current KCSIE guidance in England, safeguarding is described as everyone’s responsibility. All staff are expected to understand their school’s safeguarding systems, complete required training and know how to report concerns.
Safeguarding therefore goes beyond responding to serious incidents. It includes creating a culture where children’s safety and wellbeing are considered in everyday decisions.
Why Is Safeguarding Important in Schools?
Schools spend a significant amount of time with children and are therefore in an important position to notice changes in behaviour, attendance, appearance, relationships or wellbeing.
Effective safeguarding can help schools:
The current KCSIE guidance emphasises that children need the right help at the right time and that schools form part of a wider safeguarding system involving children’s social care, police and health services.
What Does Safeguarding Include?
Safeguarding in schools covers a broad range of risks and responsibilities.
Important areas include:
The specific risks relevant to a child can vary, which is why safeguarding professionals need to understand both common indicators and the individual circumstances of children.
What Are the Main Types of Child Abuse?
School staff should understand the main categories of abuse and recognise that signs may not always be obvious.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse involves deliberately causing physical harm to a child.
Possible indicators may include:
One sign alone does not necessarily prove abuse. Staff should follow their school’s safeguarding procedures when they have concerns.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse involves persistent behaviour that negatively affects a child’s emotional development or wellbeing.
Possible indicators can include:
Children may experience emotional abuse alongside other forms of abuse.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves children being involved in sexual activity that they cannot understand, consent to or are not legally able to consent to.
Potential indicators can vary significantly.
School staff should take disclosures seriously and follow safeguarding procedures rather than attempting to investigate concerns themselves.
Neglect
Neglect involves a persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or emotional needs.
Potential signs can include:
Again, practitioners should consider the wider context rather than relying on a single indicator.
Safeguarding and Child Protection: What Is the Difference?
Safeguarding and child protection are related but are not exactly the same.
Safeguarding is the broader responsibility of protecting children, promoting their welfare and preventing harm.
Child protection focuses more specifically on protecting individual children who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.
A school may therefore have safeguarding systems that cover the wellbeing and safety of all pupils, while child protection procedures are activated when specific concerns about significant harm arise.
Understanding this distinction helps school staff recognise that safeguarding is an ongoing responsibility rather than something that only applies when abuse is suspected.
Who Is Responsible for Safeguarding in a School?
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility.
The current KCSIE 2026 guidance states that all staff must read the relevant safeguarding information, follow school policies and understand their safeguarding responsibilities.
Different people have different responsibilities.
Governing Body or Proprietor
The governing body or proprietor has important responsibilities for ensuring that appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place.
This includes ensuring that the school has appropriate policies, procedures and leadership arrangements.
Headteacher
The headteacher has responsibility for ensuring safeguarding arrangements are implemented effectively within the school.
They work with the designated safeguarding lead and wider leadership team to maintain a strong safeguarding culture.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is a key safeguarding professional within the school.
The DSL provides leadership and oversight for safeguarding arrangements, coordinates responses to concerns and works with relevant external agencies when necessary.
Teachers and Support Staff
Teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff, lunchtime supervisors, volunteers and other school staff can all play an important role.
Staff need to recognise potential concerns and know how to report them.
What Does a Designated Safeguarding Lead Do?
A DSL has a central role in coordinating safeguarding within a school.
Responsibilities can include:
The DSL is not expected to work alone. Effective safeguarding depends on collaboration between the school, families and external safeguarding partners.
What Should School Staff Do If They Have a Safeguarding Concern?
The most important principle is to act promptly.
The current KCSIE 2026 guidance tells staff to act immediately on a concern and report it to the DSL or deputy without delay. Staff should follow their school’s child protection policy. If a child is in immediate danger, the guidance states that staff should call 999.
A typical process may involve:
Notice a concern → Listen appropriately → Record relevant information → Report to the DSL → Follow safeguarding procedures → Refer to external services when required
School staff should not attempt to conduct their own investigation.
Their role is to recognise concerns, respond appropriately, record relevant information and report through the correct safeguarding channels.
What If a Child Tells You They Are Being Harmed?
A disclosure can be difficult for both the child and the adult receiving it.
If a child tells you something that raises a safeguarding concern:
The child’s immediate safety should remain the priority.
The current KCSIE guidance also emphasises appropriate information sharing and record keeping as part of effective safeguarding practice.
Safeguarding and Information Sharing
Information sharing is an important part of safeguarding.
School staff may sometimes worry about data protection when they need to share information about a child.
Current KCSIE guidance makes clear that data protection should not be treated as a barrier to appropriate safeguarding information sharing. Staff should share and record information when necessary to protect a child and follow the relevant procedures.
Records should be factual, relevant and appropriately maintained.
The 2026 KCSIE guidance says safeguarding records should include a summary, actions taken, decisions made, the rationale for decisions and outcomes.
Safeguarding and Online Safety
Children increasingly use digital technology for education, communication and entertainment.
This means online safety is an important part of school safeguarding.
Potential online risks include:
Schools need appropriate policies, education and reporting procedures to help children use technology safely.
Staff should also understand that online harm can affect a child’s behaviour, attendance, relationships and emotional wellbeing.
Strengthen Your Safeguarding Skills
Develop practical knowledge with Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Training, covering child protection, safeguarding responsibilities, reporting procedures, risk awareness and the essential skills needed to support safer school environments.
Safeguarding and Bullying
Bullying can have serious consequences for children’s wellbeing and education.
Schools should have appropriate behaviour and safeguarding procedures for responding to bullying and other harmful behaviour.
Bullying can take different forms, including:
Staff should take concerns seriously and follow the school’s established procedures.
Safeguarding and Attendance
Changes in attendance can sometimes provide important information about a child’s wellbeing.
Persistent absence, sudden changes in attendance or unexplained patterns may sometimes indicate that a child needs additional support or protection.
Attendance concerns should therefore be considered alongside other information about the child.
A child who suddenly stops attending school, for example, may require further investigation into the reasons behind their absence.
Safeguarding professionals should consider the wider circumstances rather than viewing attendance as an isolated issue.
Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment
Safeguarding begins before a member of staff starts working in a school.
Schools need appropriate safer recruitment practices to help ensure that adults working with children are suitable.
This can include:
Safer recruitment is an important part of the wider safeguarding system described in KCSIE.
Safeguarding Allegations Against Staff
Safeguarding responsibilities also apply when concerns involve adults working in schools.
The current KCSIE 2026 guidance states that schools should have procedures for dealing with safeguarding concerns or allegations about staff, including supply staff, trainee teachers, volunteers and contractors.
Schools should follow their established procedures and ensure that concerns are handled appropriately.
Staff should also understand whistleblowing arrangements if they have concerns about safeguarding practice within the organisation.
What Is Whistleblowing in Schools?
Whistleblowing involves raising concerns about wrongdoing or unsafe practices within an organisation.
In a school setting, this can include concerns that safeguarding procedures are not being followed or that children may be placed at risk.
Staff should normally follow the school’s whistleblowing and safeguarding procedures.
The current KCSIE guidance provides information about whistleblowing and states that staff can use the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line if they feel unable to raise safeguarding concerns internally.
Safeguarding Training for School Staff
Safeguarding training is an essential part of working with children.
All school staff should understand:
The current KCSIE 2026 guidance states that staff must complete required safeguarding training and refreshers and know the school’s safeguarding systems.
Training should not be treated as a one-off activity. Safeguarding knowledge needs to remain current as guidance, risks and school procedures develop.
Working With Parents and Carers
Parents and carers are important partners in safeguarding.
Schools may need to communicate with families about:
However, there can be circumstances where sharing information with a parent or carer could increase risk to a child.
Staff should therefore follow safeguarding procedures and seek advice from the DSL rather than making complex safeguarding decisions independently.
Multi-Agency Safeguarding
Schools are part of a wider safeguarding system.
The 2026 Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance applies in full to schools, colleges and other education providers in England. It establishes a framework for organisations and agencies to work together to safeguard and promote children’s welfare.
Safeguarding partners include:
Depending on the circumstances, schools may also work with children’s social care, healthcare professionals, youth services and other specialist organisations.
Effective multi-agency working helps ensure that complex safeguarding concerns are considered from different professional perspectives.
Early Help and Safeguarding
Not every concern means that a child is experiencing abuse or neglect.
Some children may need additional support before their circumstances develop into a serious safeguarding concern.
Early help can involve providing support to children and families when difficulties first emerge.
This might relate to:
The 2026 Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance places emphasis on helping, supporting and protecting children and families through effective multi-agency arrangements.
Creating a Strong Safeguarding Culture
Good safeguarding is not simply about having a policy stored on a website.
A strong safeguarding culture means that staff understand their responsibilities and feel confident raising concerns.
Schools can support this by:
The goal is to create an environment where safeguarding becomes part of everyday school practice.
Safeguarding in Schools and Children With Additional Needs
Some children may face additional vulnerabilities and require particularly careful consideration.
This can include children with:
Staff should avoid making assumptions about children’s experiences and should consider each child’s individual circumstances.
Effective communication and appropriate adaptations can help ensure that children have opportunities to express concerns and receive support.
Safeguarding in Schools: What Staff Should Remember
Every member of staff should understand several basic principles:
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
The child’s welfare should remain central.
Act promptly when you have a concern.
Report concerns through the correct safeguarding process.
Do not investigate concerns yourself.
Record information accurately.
Share information appropriately when necessary to protect a child.
Know who your DSL and deputy DSL are.
These principles align closely with the current KCSIE 2026 expectations for school staff.
What Is the Role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead?
The DSL is one of the most important safeguarding roles within a school.
The DSL helps coordinate safeguarding arrangements and acts as a central point of contact for concerns.
However, the existence of a DSL does not mean other staff can ignore safeguarding concerns.
Teachers, teaching assistants, administrators, volunteers and other school staff must still understand their own safeguarding responsibilities and report concerns appropriately.
The DSL provides leadership and coordination, while safeguarding remains a collective responsibility.
How Can You Develop Safeguarding Knowledge?
If you work with children or want to progress into a safeguarding role, structured safeguarding training can help you develop the knowledge required for your responsibilities.
A suitable training programme can help you understand:
Training should always be considered alongside your school’s own policies, procedures and current statutory guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is safeguarding in schools?
Safeguarding in schools means protecting children from harm, promoting their welfare and creating an environment where children can learn and develop safely. It includes preventing and responding to abuse, neglect, exploitation and other risks affecting children’s wellbeing.
Who is responsible for safeguarding in a school?
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. The DSL has a central leadership and coordination role, but teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, volunteers and other school staff must also understand their safeguarding responsibilities and report concerns appropriately.
What should a teacher do if they have a safeguarding concern?
A teacher should act promptly, follow the school’s child protection policy and report the concern to the DSL or deputy without delay. Staff should not attempt to investigate the concern themselves. If a child is in immediate danger, current KCSIE guidance states that staff should call 999.
What is the role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead?
A Designated Safeguarding Lead coordinates safeguarding arrangements within a school. The DSL can provide advice to staff, manage safeguarding concerns, coordinate referrals and work with relevant external agencies and safeguarding partners.
What safeguarding guidance do schools follow in England?
Schools in England must have regard to Keeping Children Safe in Education, with the current 2026 version in force from 1 September 2026. Schools also operate within the wider multi-agency framework established by Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026.
Strengthen Your Safeguarding Skills
Develop practical knowledge with Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Training, covering child protection, safeguarding responsibilities, reporting procedures, risk awareness and the essential skills needed to support safer school environments.
Final Thoughts
Safeguarding is a fundamental part of creating safe and supportive schools. It requires everyone who works with children to understand their responsibilities, recognise potential concerns and know what action to take.
In England, the current Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 guidance makes clear that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and that all staff must understand their school’s safeguarding systems and follow its policies and procedures.
Effective safeguarding also depends on strong leadership, accurate record keeping, appropriate information sharing, safer recruitment and effective collaboration with children’s social care, health services, police and other safeguarding partners.
For professionals who want to take on greater safeguarding responsibility, developing specialist knowledge can be an important step towards becoming a confident and effective safeguarding practitioner.
