Online Safety: KCSiE 2024 vs 2025
Author: Jonathan Taylor MSc – Social Media & Online Safety Consultant
Purpose: Understanding the Changes in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 compared to KCSiE 2024 – Specific to ‘Online Safety’
Online Safety: KCSIE 2024 vs 2025 Comparison (At a Glance)
| Online Safety Topic | KCSIE 2024 | KCSIE 2025 | Notes |
| Misinformation / Disinformation / Conspiracy Theories | ❌ Not mentioned | ✅ Explicitly included. Online Fakeness and its impact on Online Exploitation (Deep Fake) (para 135) | New online harm category |
| Filtering & Monitoring – Self-assessment support | ❌ Not included | ✅ ‘Plan technology for your school’ should include discussion of School Internet Access & Data, plus Website & App restriction. (para 142) | Aids technical evaluation |
| Generative AI Guidance | ❌ Not included | ✅ Now includes importance of AI training & guidance. (para 143) | Emphasis on emerging tech |
| Cybersecurity – Emphasis on Resilience | ⚠️ Mentioned broadly | ✅ Highlights ‘cyber resilience’. should also include understanding the importance of Online Competence. (para 144) | Aligns with DfE standards |
| Annual Review of Online Safety Approach Recommended | ❌ Not mentioned | ✅ Online Safety Audit Encouraged (para 145) | Structured evaluation approach |
| Governor Oversight Tools – UKCIS ‘Questions’ Resource | ❌ Not included | ✅ Recommended. Schools should look to include Governor / Trustee training. (para 146) | Helps governors assess policies |
| 2025 -2026 Online Safety Workshops ‘At A Glance’ |
Online Safety for Schools – Staff
🔐 Key Online Safety–Related Changes from 2024 to 2025
1. Greater Emphasis on Concurrent Online and Offline Abuse
- 2025 update reinforces that online abuse often occurs simultaneously with offline abuse, highlighting how these are not isolated risks.
- It notes that children may experience abuse via chat groups, including the non-consensual sharing of indecent or abusive content, which was previously less emphasized.
2. Clarity on Filtering and Monitoring Responsibilities
- While both versions state that training must include online safety, the 2025 version puts clearer emphasis on understanding roles and responsibilities related to filtering and monitoring technologies in schools.
- References to paragraph 140 (2025) (previously para 140 in 2024) are maintained but with clearer instruction around ensuring this understanding during induction and refresher training.
3. Terminology and Links Updates
- The 2025 version standardizes references to “nude and semi-nude images and videos” (previously varied between “sexting” or “youth-produced sexual imagery”) in line with UKCIS guidance.
- More direct links are provided to updated government and UKCIS guidance documents, making it easier for staff to access practical help.
4. Online Safety in Child-on-Child Abuse
- The 2025 version more explicitly discusses online elements in child-on-child abuse, e.g.:
- Online bullying
- Harassment and misogynistic/misandrist messages
- Distribution of indecent imagery without consent
5. Online Misuse Highlighted as a Standalone Risk
- Online safety is referenced more frequently in the context of signs of abuse, reinforcing it as a core safeguarding concern rather than just an add-on.
| Category | KCSiE 2024 Guidance | KCSiE 2025 Guidance |
| Concurrent Online & Offline Abuse | Mentions online risks separately from offline abuse. | Emphasises abuse often occurs both online and offline simultaneously. |
| Filtering & Monitoring Responsibilities | Mentions filtering/monitoring in training but with less emphasis. | Clearer training requirements around filtering & monitoring responsibilities. |
| Terminology & Links | Terminology varies; ‘sexting’ and ‘youth-produced imagery’ used. | Consistent terminology: ‘nude & semi-nude images/videos’; links to UKCIS. |
| Child-on-Child Online Abuse | General mention of online bullying and harassment. | Expanded detail on online elements in peer abuse and chat groups. |
| Online Misuse as Safeguarding Risk | Online misuse is addressed but not always explicitly. | Explicitly framed as a core safeguarding issue. |
🌐 Presented by: Jonathan Taylor MSc
www.onlinesafety4schools.co.uk
📧 onlinesafety4schools@ymail.com