WELCOME

  Is your safeguarding practice inspection-ready? A practical guide for independent school leaders under the ISI inspection framework   Safeguarding is considered on every ISI inspection. ISI makes two overarching safeguarding judgements: whether the school’s arrangements safeguard and promote pupils’ welfare, and whether those arrangements have regard to relevant Secretary of State guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and Working Together to Safeguard Children. Inspectors consider safeguarding throughout the inspection, not only during a meeting with the DSL or a review of policies. What does ISI look for? ISI evaluates whether safeguarding arrangements work in practice and meet the relevant Independent School Standards (ISS). Evidence can arise across all four sections of the framework. Inspectors triangulate what they see, read and hear: leaders’ decisions, staff and pupil understanding, records, surveys, observations, and the school’s wo...

  Introduction   The Information Sharing Duty Statutory Guidance was issued following the introduction of the new information sharing duty within Section 16LA of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, which amended the Children Act 2004. The guidance has been produced to address a long-standing problem identified by safeguarding practitioners: uncertainty about when information can legally and appropriately be shared to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.   For many years, safeguarding reviews repeatedly identified poor information sharing in many cases where children experienced significant harm. Practitioners often felt constrained by concerns about confidentiality, consent, data protection legislation, or uncertainty about thresholds for intervention.   This guidance seeks to remove those barriers by creating a clear expectation that relevant information should be shared when doing so may help another agency assess need, identify ris...

  Learning outcomes By the end of the briefing, participants will be able to: 1.       Explain the key KCSIE expectations relating to children who are questioning their gender and requests for support with social transition. 2.      Identify the safeguarding considerations leaders must take into account, including vulnerability, bullying, family context, mental health, psychosocial needs and the welfare of other children. 3.      Describe the school or college decision-making process for considering requests, including parental involvement, DSL input, professional advice, documentation and review. 4.      Understand the governance role in assuring that policies, records, staff practice and leadership decisions are consistent with the updated guidance. Overall aim The briefing should give leadership teams and governance roles a clear understanding of: ·     ...