DSL Autumn Term Toolkit 2026 — September Safeguarding Checklist

Before Pupils Arrive — Summer Preparation

Complete before the first day of term, ideally during August INSET or the week before pupils return

Policies and Procedures

Child Protection Policy reviewed, updated to reference KCSIE 2026 (in force 1 September 2026), and approved by the governing body/trustees All Annex references in policies corrected for KCSIE 2026 renumbering: old Annex A deleted; old B is now Annex A (Further information); old C is now Annex B (Role of DSL) Weapons-related policy updated to reflect KCSIE 2026's new mandatory external reporting duty when a weapon is found on school premises Online Safety Policy reviewed to cover AI-generated imagery and deepfake image-based abuse as explicit safeguarding risk categories Peer-on-Peer Abuse policy updated to include KCSIE 2026's enhanced peer conflict de-escalation duties and contextual safeguarding approach Staff Code of Conduct reviewed and re-issued Whistleblowing policy reviewed and accessible to all staff All updated policies published on school website (statutory requirement)

Personnel and Roles

DSL and Deputy DSL(s) confirmed and names published in Child Protection Policy and on school website DSL and Deputy DSL names and photos displayed in each school building (required) Safeguarding governor confirmed and governor register updated Any new DSL or DDSL has completed DSL training in the last two years SENCO has been briefed on new pupils with EHCPs and SEN support plans (safeguarding overlap)

Safer Recruitment and Staffing

DBS checks confirmed for all new staff, supply staff, and regular volunteers before they begin work Single Central Record (SCR) updated for all new starters Right-to-work checks completed for all new employees Prohibition from teaching orders checked via DfE Employer Access for all new teachers At least one safer recruitment trained person was involved in all recent appointments

First Week Back — Staff Induction and Briefing

Complete during INSET day(s) and the first week of term

All Staff Training

All staff have read Part 1 of KCSIE 2026 and signed a record of this (not a substitute for a verbal or online update briefing) All staff briefed on key KCSIE 2026 changes: mandatory weapons-reporting duty, AI/deepfake provisions, annex renumbering, and peer conflict de-escalation All staff briefed on updated Child Protection Policy and any changes from last year, including updated Annex references All new staff completed safeguarding induction (before working unsupervised with pupils) All staff know who the DSL and Deputy DSL(s) are and how to report a concern All staff briefed on current local safeguarding priorities and any themes emerging from LADO/MASH over summer

Pupil Welfare

Children on Child Protection Plans or Child in Need Plans: plans reviewed before term starts, allocated social worker contacted to confirm current status Looked After Children (LAC): Personal Education Plans (PEPs) updated, virtual school head notified of any changes Any pupils whose whereabouts are unknown after summer: LA Children Missing from Education (CME) team notified New Year 7 (or equivalent) pupils: information transferred from primary schools, including any safeguarding information

Referral Contacts Confirmed

MASH/children's social care emergency and duty numbers confirmed and saved Local Prevent coordinator contact confirmed LADO contact confirmed and saved Educational Psychologist and CAMHS referral pathways confirmed

KCSIE 2026 — Specific New Requirements

Items relating specifically to the changes introduced in KCSIE 2026 (in force 1 September 2026)

Note: KCSIE 2026 introduces substantive new duties — not just technical changes. The four areas below each require active school action before September. Full detail in our KCSIE 2026 changes guide.

Annex Renumbering — Update All Internal References

Old Annex A (Statutory guidance for schools on sexual violence) has been deleted — its content is now folded into Part One. Old Annex B is now Annex A (Further information); old Annex C is now Annex B (Role of the DSL). Any school document, induction pack, or policy that names a KCSIE annex by letter must be updated. See our annex renumbering guide for the full mapping.

Child Protection Policy updated — all "Annex A/B/C" references checked and corrected against the new KCSIE 2026 annex structure Staff induction packs and DSL role descriptions updated to reference new Annex B (Role of the DSL, formerly Annex C) PSHE/RSE resources that referenced old Annex A content reviewed — confirm whether the content they relied on has moved into Part One or been revised Governor and trustee briefing note issued confirming which policy documents have been updated and why

Weapons-Reporting Duty — New Mandatory Obligation

KCSIE 2026 introduces a new duty: when a weapon is found on school premises, the school must make an external report to an appropriate agency (police or children's social care). This is separate from any internal disciplinary process. See our serious violence and weapons guide.

Weapons-discovery protocol updated to include mandatory external reporting step (police 101 or 999 depending on risk, or MASH where a child's welfare is the primary concern) All staff briefed: finding a weapon on premises triggers an external report — this is not discretionary under KCSIE 2026 Record-keeping process confirmed for weapons incidents — DSL to log date, item found, action taken, agency notified, and outcome Behaviour policy cross-referenced with new weapons-reporting duty so both processes are initiated in parallel, not sequentially

AI-Generated Imagery and Deepfakes

KCSIE 2026 explicitly addresses AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake image-based sexual abuse (IBSA). Schools must have a process for responding when AI-generated intimate imagery involving pupils is discovered or reported. See our AI and deepfake provisions guide.

Peer-on-Peer Abuse policy updated to explicitly name AI-generated IBSA (deepfake intimate images) as a form of image-based sexual abuse requiring the same response as non-consensual real images CEOP referral pathway confirmed for AI-generated CSAM — any AI-generated image meeting the CSAM threshold must be reported to CEOP regardless of how it was created All generative AI tools used by pupils identified and assessed against DfE product safety expectations; DPIA completed for each tool Staff training updated to include how to recognise, respond to, and report AI-generated harmful imagery involving pupils Filtering and monitoring system confirmed to flag AI image-generation tool access on school networks; reviewed with DPO

Peer Conflict De-escalation and Contextual Safeguarding

KCSIE 2026 strengthens the expectation that schools use a contextual safeguarding lens when responding to peer conflict — considering environment and relationships, not just the incident in isolation.

Peer-on-Peer Abuse policy updated to reflect enhanced contextual safeguarding duty — consider peer group dynamics, location, and power imbalances, not just the incident itself De-escalation approach documented for recurring peer conflict: how the school identifies patterns, involves DSL, and makes referrals where exploitation or coercion is suspected DSL has reviewed any ongoing peer conflict cases under the new contextual lens — escalate to MASH where exploitation pattern is suspected PSHE programme includes age-appropriate content on healthy relationships and peer pressure for all year groups (supports contextual safeguarding preventative duty)

First Half-Term — Ongoing Oversight

Review before October half-term break

Attendance and Exploitation Monitoring

Attendance data reviewed — unexplained patterned absences flagged as potential exploitation indicator Any persistent absentees with no confirmed reason referred to Attendance Officer and MASH if county lines or exploitation pattern suspected CME register reviewed — all unknown pupil whereabouts reported to LA

Case Management

All active safeguarding cases reviewed — are actions being followed up? Child Protection Plan review meetings attended (statutory) Looked After Children: PEP reviews completed, progress monitored Early Help cases reviewed — escalate where concerns have increased

Quality Assurance

DSL has reviewed safeguarding records completed by staff — are records good quality, timely, and child-centred? DDSL has shadowed DSL on at least one referral or case management meeting this half-term Governor safeguarding visit scheduled — safeguarding governor to carry out termly scrutiny Any low-level concerns about staff behaviour recorded and reviewed — pattern analysis carried out

Annual Training Requirements — Quick Reference

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All Staff

Read Part 1 of KCSIE 2026: annually and at induction
Safeguarding awareness update: annually
Online safety update: annually

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DSL and Deputy DSLs

DSL training: every 2 years minimum
Refresher CPD: ongoing, at least annually
Multi-agency training: as recommended locally
Prevent awareness (WRAP or equivalent): current

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Governors and Trustees

Safer Recruitment training: at least one governor
Safeguarding awareness: annually
Prevent: awareness level training
Termly governor safeguarding scrutiny

Key Contacts — Complete and Keep on File

MASH/Childrens Social Care (Duty)

MASH (Emergency Out-of-Hours)

Local Authority LADO

Local Prevent Coordinator

CME (Children Missing from Education) Team

Educational Psychologist

CAMHS Referral / IAPT

School Police Liaison Officer

National numbers: NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 • Childline: 0800 1111 • CEOP: ceop.police.uk • Anti-Terrorist Hotline: 0800 789 321 • Emergency: 999

Related Safeguarding Resources

→ KCSIE 2026 Changes: What Schools Must Do
→ KCSIE 2026 Annex Renumbering Guide
→ KCSIE 2026 AI & Deepfake Provisions
→ KCSIE 2026 Weapons & Serious Violence
→ AI Safeguarding: Schools Guide
→ Professional Portal for DSLs
→ MASH Finder — Find Your Local Hub
→ Prevent Duty Resources