Brightcore Consultancy

03/09/2026

A quick KCSIE 2026 update 💚

It’s certainly been a busy start to the new academic year!

Alongside everything else happening this week, schools and colleges are working with the final September version of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, which includes some additional amendments to the version published in July.

We know that many of you will already have spent time over the summer updating your Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy - and may well have had it approved - using the July version.

If so, there are some further amendments to consider to make sure your policy reflects the final September version.

We’ve reviewed the changes and updated our model Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, and all Brightcore clients have now received the revised version with the additional amendments clearly highlighted.

We appreciate that reviewing a policy you’ve only just updated is probably not high on anyone’s September wish list! If you need any support navigating the KCSIE 2026 changes or reviewing your safeguarding arrangements, please do get in touch.

01/09/2026

Welcome back! 👋

We hope you managed to find some time over the summer to switch off, recharge and enjoy a well-earned break.

We know just how busy the first week of September is. Our own team is out delivering INSET training this week, and we know many of you will be doing exactly the same - preparing staff, welcoming pupils and students back and getting ready for the new academic year.

There’s plenty to be aware of as the new term begins. Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 comes into force today, alongside the revised statutory guidance for Relationships Education, Relationships and S*x Education (RSE) and Health Education.

Our advice? Focus on the essentials.

Make sure staff understand the safeguarding expectations relevant to their role, are familiar with your policies and procedures, and know what to do if they are worried about a child or young person.

As always, we’ll be here to help you keep on top of the latest safeguarding guidance, changes and priorities, and to provide the training, resources and support you need.

We hope everyone has a really positive start to the new academic year. 💚

19/08/2026

We’re delighted to be delivering a free CPD webinar for the Independent Schools Portal community, with our lead consultant, Oliver Welsby, taking you through the key changes to KCSIE 2026.

📚 KCSIE 2026: What Schools Need to Know

Join Ollie on Wednesday 2nd September, 4:15-5:00pm for a practical 45-minute session covering the key updates to the 2026 Keeping Children Safe in Education framework.

The session is designed to save schools valuable time, focusing on the changes that school leaders and safeguarding teams need to be aware of as we begin the new academic year.

👉 Book your free place here:
https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/118255

We look forward to seeing there!

This short webinar will give you an overview of the key changes to KCSIE 2026. Delivered by safeguarding experts Brightcore, this session will...

24/07/2026

Now that the academic year has drawn to a close, it feels like a good opportunity to reflect on the first two months of the Safeguarding Excellence Awards.

Since their launch, more than 100 schools have achieved either the Commitment to Safeguarding Excellence Award or the Sustained Commitment to Safeguarding Excellence Award.

Each of these schools has demonstrated a genuine commitment to the strategic improvement of safeguarding, including a willingness to engage in detailed independent scrutiny, reflect honestly on current practice and continue developing the support and protection provided to children and young people.

Reaching this milestone so soon after the launch has been fantastic, but the most important part is the work taking place behind every award. School leaders, DSLs, governors, trustees and staff teams have worked tirelessly throughout the year to strengthen safeguarding practice and ensure that children remain at the centre of their decision-making.

Congratulations to every school recognised so far. It has been a privilege to work with you.

We hope everyone working across education has a thoroughly deserved and restful summer, and we look forward to supporting many more schools through the Safeguarding Excellence Awards next year.

To find out more about the Awards and how your school or trust can become involved, please get in touch: [email protected]

17/07/2026

As the school year comes to a close, we wanted to say thank you 😊

To every DSL, DDSL, headteacher, governor, teacher, teaching assistant, pastoral leader, family support worker, administrator, site manager and every member of staff who plays a part in keeping children and young people safe every day - thank you.

It has been another year of change, challenge and increasing complexity. Yet, wherever we have worked, we have continued to see the same unwavering commitment to children and young people.

Safeguarding is not built through one policy or one piece of statutory guidance. It is built through thousands of everyday moments - noticing when something does not feel right, asking one more question, listening carefully, sharing concerns and keeping children and young people at the centre of every decision.

To all of the wonderful schools, colleges, trusts, local authorities and organisations we have worked alongside this year, thank you for welcoming us into your communities and trusting us to support your safeguarding work. We genuinely value the relationships we have built and the opportunity to work alongside so many dedicated professionals.

Following the publication of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, we'll continue developing practical guidance, resources and training to support schools and colleges ahead of September.

For now, we hope everyone has the opportunity to switch off, recharge and enjoy a well-earned break.

Have a wonderful summer.

08/07/2026

The DfE has just released the much awaited Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 which comes into force on 1 September 2026.

The summary of changes starts on page 189.

We are now reviewing the final guidance and will be updating our practical implementation support resources for the schools and colleges we work with over the coming weeks, including implementation guidance, training materials and policy support.

As ever, our focus will be on helping schools and colleges prepare for September in a clear, practical and proportionate way.

You can access the guidance here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a4cf903b7203c4c023fd2f3/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2026_.pdf

02/07/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻?

Some children make their distress visible. Others keep everything inside.

These are often the children who rarely disrupt, rarely ask for help and rarely draw attention. They seem to be coping, but anxiety, sadness or fear can remain hidden because silence is so easily mistaken for resilience.

In busy schools, it's natural that the loudest needs often receive the quickest response. But emotional safety isn't always about who shouts the loudest. Sometimes it's about the child who isn't saying anything at all.

As we approach the end of another school year, it's worth taking a moment to reflect:

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀?

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆?

Sometimes the children who need us most are the ones asking for help in the quietest ways.

💙 Every child deserves to feel seen, heard and safe.

01/07/2026

📍Prefer to complete your DSL Refresher in person?

Whether you're a DSL or a DDSL looking to book your own place, or you're arranging training for your safeguarding team, we have in-person DSL Refresher courses available in:

📍Worcester
📍Birmingham
📍London
📍Farnborough

Our interactive courses combine the latest statutory updates, practical safeguarding scenarios and opportunities to share good practice with other safeguarding professionals, helping you refresh your knowledge, build confidence and stay up to date with the latest safeguarding requirements.

💻 Still need to complete your refresher before the end of term?

We still have places available on our 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗦𝗟 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 taking place tomorrow (2nd July).

View all upcoming in-person and live online courses and book your place today:

https://www.brightcoreconsultancy.com/dsl-refresher-training

23/06/2026

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿?

Thanks to our funded places for education settings, charities and organisations working with young people, we're able to offer our 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗛𝗙𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 £𝟵𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻.

If it's been nearly three years since you completed your Youth MHFA training, now is a great opportunity to refresh your skills, update your knowledge and build your confidence as a Mental Health First Aider.

The course will help you:
✅ Refresh your understanding of mental health and wellbeing
✅ Revisit the Youth MHFA action plan
✅ Practise applying your skills in real-life situations
✅ Update your knowledge and confidence as a Mental Health First Aider
✅ Maintain your membership of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders®

The session will be delivered by our wonderful instructor, Jen Christie who brings a wealth of experience, practical insight and energy to every course.

We'd love to welcome you online on the 8th July. To find out more or book a place, please get in touch at [email protected].

19/06/2026

The proposed ban on social media for under-16s has generated significant debate this week.

From a safeguarding perspective, however, there is perhaps a more important question:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗗𝗦𝗟𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀?

A social media ban would not remove online risk.

Children would still access online content through gaming platforms, messaging apps, livestreaming services, group chats, websites, AI tools and other digital spaces. In many cases, safeguarding concerns may simply shift rather than disappear.

For DSLs, the focus should remain on:

✅ Building children's digital resilience
✅ Delivering a strong online safety curriculum
✅ Supporting parents and carers to understand emerging risks
✅ Monitoring safeguarding trends and patterns within the school community
✅ Responding effectively when concerns are identified

The debate also highlights an important reality for schools.

Many online safeguarding concerns identified through external safeguarding reviews are not solely linked to social media access. They are often linked to wider issues including child-on-child abuse, online bullying, harmful sexual behaviour, misogyny, exploitation, exposure to harmful content and the increasing influence of algorithm-driven online environments.

Whatever happens with future legislation, schools will still need robust safeguarding systems, effective filtering and monitoring, strong curriculum provision and ongoing engagement with parents and carers.

The question for safeguarding leaders is not simply whether a ban should happen.

It is whether children are developing the knowledge, skills and resilience needed to navigate an increasingly complex digital world safely.

If we can support your safeguarding team with online safety, safeguarding reviews, training or strategic safeguarding leadership, please do get in touch.