Important Documents
Statutory & Guidance Documents
Current documents for designated safeguarding leads and school leaders in England
Current versions only. Last checked against GOV.UK: May 2026. All links open on GOV.UK or the relevant publisher's website. Amber indicates a document that is technically current but has not been updated since 2020 or earlier.
Core Statutory Safeguarding
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping Children Safe in Education The 2026 draft is out for consultation only and is not yet in force. | September 2025 | Current |
| Working Together to Safeguard Children | March 2026 | Current |
| Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners Non-statutory. Includes revised seven golden rules. | May 2024 | Current |
| Restrictive Interventions Including Use of Reasonable Force in Schools | April 2026 | Current |
Behaviour & School Management
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour in Schools: Advice for Headteachers and School Staff Non-statutory. | February 2024 | Current |
| Searching, Screening and Confiscation: Advice for Schools | July 2023 | Current |
Ofsted Inspection
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Schools Inspection Toolkit (including Safeguarding) Replaces the school inspection handbook from 10 November 2025. | November 2025 | Current |
Online Safety & Relationships Education
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSHE Statutory Guidance (in force from 1 September 2026) The 2019 guidance remains in force until 31 August 2026. | July 2025 | Current |
| Sharing Nudes and Semi-Nudes: Advice for Education Settings (UKCIS) Non-statutory. | March 2024 | Current |
| Sharing Nudes and Semi-Nudes: How to Respond to an Incident (Summary for all staff) Non-statutory. | March 2024 | Current |
| Challenging Victim Blaming Language and Behaviours: Online Experiences of Children and Young People (UKCIS) Non-statutory. | October 2022 | Current |
Attendance & Children Missing Education
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Children Missing Education: Statutory Guidance Elevated to full statutory guidance in this edition; extends schools' responsibilities. | September 2025 | Current |
| Working Together to Improve School Attendance | August 2024 | Current |
Prevent & Radicalisation
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prevent Duty Guidance: England and Wales In force from 31 December 2023. Minor administrative update March 2024. | 2023 (updated March 2024) | Current |
Early Years
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework (Group and School-Based Providers) Includes strengthened safeguarding requirements and new DSL provisions. | September 2025 | Current |
Safer Recruitment & Staff Conduct
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Education Settings Non-statutory. Produced by the Safer Recruitment Consortium, not hosted on GOV.UK. | February 2022 | Current |
| After-School Clubs, Community Activities and Tuition: Safeguarding Guidance for Providers Non-statutory. DBS section updated February 2026 — download from GOV.UK to ensure you have the latest version. | September 2023 (updated February 2026) | Current |
| Better Hiring Toolkit for Education Supply Chains Non-statutory. Produced by the Better Hiring Institute, not hosted on GOV.UK. | September 2023 | Current |
Governance
| Document | Version / Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Maintained Schools Governance Guide Non-statutory. Replaces the Governance Handbook. Online-only: no official PDF. Updated June 2025 — check you are reading the live GOV.UK version rather than a saved copy. | March 2024 (update |