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  What is FGM? Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to any procedure that injures, removes or alters the female genital organs for non‑medical reasons. It is widely recognised as a severe violation of human rights and a form of violence against women and girls. In the UK context, FGM is considered both a criminal act and a form of child abuse when carried out on a girl under 18. The procedure may occur at various ages, ranging from infancy to adolescence, before marriage, or even during pregnancy, and it frequently results in significant immediate pain as well as long-term physical, psychological, and reproductive health consequences. Although the World Health Organisation identifies four major types of FGM - clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation, and other harmful non‑medical procedures - these classifications are not formally embedded within UK legislation. However, they remain helpful for understanding the breadth of procedures professionals may encounter and are commonly...

KCSiE 2026 Consultation Download and share the printable KCSIE 2026 consultation summary: easy‑read review, action plan and next steps (click to download) Please note:  Read the draft in full.  The proposed revised guidance should be read in its entirety; safeguarding professionals should not rely solely on this or other summaries or overviews. Consultation snapshot What is the consultation:  DfE consultation on proposed revisions to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026, the statutory guidance setting out legal safeguarding duties for schools and colleges. Why it matters:   The 2026 draft represents one of the most significant structural shifts in recent years. It integrates findings from the Cass Review, addresses rapidly evolving technological risks, and moves multiple pastoral issues into the statutory safeguarding domain. Who should engage:   All safeguarding stakeholders in England, frontline staff, DSLs/deputie...

Applies to all schools in England (maintained, academies, free schools, independent, special).   Purpose of the Guidance The Department for Education (DfE) has strengthened its expectations and now states that all schools should be mobile phone–free environments by default, with exceptions only in specific, justified circumstances.     This guidance is non‑statutory, but Ofsted will begin checking school policies and their implementation during inspections from 1 April 2026.   Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school All schools should operate as mobile‑phone‑free environments by default, ensuring that pupils do not have access to their devices throughout the school day. Behaviour policies must clearly set out the expectations regarding the prohibition of mobile phones and outline the standards pupils are required to meet. While Bring Your Own Device schemes may allow the use of laptops or tablets for learning, they must not include mob...