keeping children safe in education 2025

As educators, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is a top priority, and that includes protecting them online. The updated Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 guidance reinforces this responsibility, highlighting key areas of online safety and the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in safeguarding.

Online Safety: A Core Part of Safeguarding
KCSIE 2025 reminds us that online safety is not optional — it’s central to protecting children from harm. This means:

• Educating pupils about how to stay safe online, including recognising risks like cyberbullying, online grooming, sexting, and exposure to harmful or extremist content.
• Using filtering and monitoring tools to block access to inappropriate websites and flag worrying behaviour, while being careful to respect privacy.
• Keeping your own knowledge up to date with training on the latest online threats and platforms.
• Having clear procedures in place for reporting and responding to online safety incidents, so pupils get help quickly and effectively.

Engaging parents and carers in conversations about online safety to reinforce good habits at home.

​The growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is becoming more common in schools and online platforms, and KCSIE 2025 acknowledges this shift. As staff, it’s important to understand both the opportunities and challenges AI brings:

• AI can help identify safeguarding concerns, for example by spotting patterns of risky behaviour in online communications.
• But AI also raises questions about data privacy, bias, and the accuracy of monitoring systems — schools must use these tools responsibly and transparently.
• Teaching pupils about AI — how it works, its benefits, and its risks — is crucial. This includes understanding AI-generated content like deepfakes and misinformation, and developing critical digital literacy skills.

Schools should update policies to guide the safe and ethical use of AI by staff and students. 
📌 This is covered in KCSIE 2025, paragraph 143 under ‘content’.

Emerging Online Risks: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Conspiracy Theories
​KCSIE 2025 highlights a growing need for schools to actively address new forms of online harm that can influence young people’s thinking and behaviour. In particular, schools should now be aware of:

• Misinformation – false or inaccurate information shared without the intent to deceive (e.g. misunderstood statistics or outdated science).
• Disinformation – false content deliberately created and shared to mislead others, including fake news and manipulated media.
• Conspiracy theories – oversimplified or misleading narratives that can promote mistrust, fear, or even radicalisation.

These risks are often subtle and can appear through social media, videos, or seemingly credible sources. As educators, we have a role in helping pupils develop critical thinking, evaluate online content, and know how to question what they see.
📌 This is covered in KCSIE 2025, paragraph 135 under ‘content’.

What does this means for educators?

• Stay informed: Attend training on online safety and AI developments. The digital landscape changes fast, and your awareness helps protect pupils.
• Talk openly about online risks: Create a classroom culture where pupils feel safe discussing their online experiences and know how to seek help.
• Support school policies: Follow your school’s online safety procedures and report concerns without delay.
• Promote responsible AI use: Help pupils think critically about AI tools and content they encounter online.
• Engage parents: Share resources and advice to help families reinforce safe online habits.

In Summary
KCSIE 2025 emphasises that keeping children safe online requires a team effort — involving teachers, school leaders, families, and pupils themselves. By understanding the guidance on online safety and AI, you can help build a safer digital environment where every student can learn, grow, and thrive.

Additional Tips and Considerations for Teachers

1. Stay up to date with emerging platforms and trends
   Online platforms and apps evolve rapidly. Popular social media, gaming, or messaging apps today might be replaced by new ones tomorrow. Make it a habit to check for updates on digital trends so you can better understand the spaces where your pupils spend time.
2. Encourage positive online behaviour
   Promote digital kindness, respect, and empathy online. Helping pupils understand the impact of their words and actions on others can reduce incidents like cyberbullying.
3. Balance supervision with empowerment
   While filtering and monitoring tools are important, teaching pupils to make safe, responsible choices themselves is equally vital. Empower them with skills to recognise risks and protect their own wellbeing.
4. Use real-life scenarios
   When teaching online safety or AI literacy, use examples or stories that are relatable to your pupils’ experiences. This helps make abstract risks more concrete and understandable.
5. Consider Mental Health impacts
   Online harm can deeply affect children’s mental health. Be aware of signs of distress and ensure pupils know where to get help, both within school and through external services.
6. Collaborate across the school
   Online safety is a whole-school issue. Work with safeguarding leads, IT staff, and leadership to create a consistent approach and share resources.
7. Explore ethical questions about AI
   When discussing AI, prompt pupils to think about ethical issues like privacy, bias, and fairness. This encourages critical thinking beyond just technical understanding.