Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will bring forward the annual publication of the final version of Keeping Children Safe in Education to avoid clashing with the start the school year.

The Department publishes a near final version of the keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) statutory guidance in late spring or early summer. This approach ensures that schools and colleges have sufficient time to digest revisions and to plan any necessary training, ahead of implementation in the next school year.

It is rare for material changes to be made between the for-information version and the final publication in September. Where this does occur, changes are strictly limited to reflect vital information in response to unexpected or emerging issues.

To bring forward the final version publication date would mean the guidance would be released during the summer holidays, which schools and colleges have signalled is not appropriate. However, the Department will consider adding a question when we next consult on KCSIE in relation to preferred scheduling.