Child protection policy: what to publish on your school website
Your child protection and safeguarding policy, including how children can report abuse and how you handle concerns.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When it's due
Every September
Review it each year, usually when the new Keeping children safe in education comes out.
What's needed
Publish your child protection and safeguarding policy on the safeguarding page on your website, covering child-on-child abuse and low-level concerns, and review it every year.
What it must contain
8 parts- Sets out a procedure for sharing low-level concerns confidentiallyShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Sets out procedures to minimise the risk of child-on-child abuseShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Sets out the systems for children to confidently report abuse, which are well promoted and easy to understandShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Says how allegations of child-on-child abuse are recorded, investigated and dealt withShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Says the school has appropriate filtering and monitoring on its devices and networksShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Explains the extra barriers to recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation in children with special educational needs, disabilities or health conditionsShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Reflects local safeguarding procedures in the school's own policies and proceduresShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
- Sets out the arrangements for individuals coming onto the premisesShould: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.
What the official sources say
Set out in 1 official source:
Keeping children safe in education
These policies should include individual schools and colleges having: • an effective child protection policy which: • reflects the whole school/college approach to child-on-child abuse (see paragraphs 192-193 and Part five), • reflects reporting systems as set out at paragraph 121, • describes procedures which are in accordance with government guidance, • refers to locally agreed multi-agency safeguarding arrangements put in place by the safeguarding partners (see paragraphs 132-139), • includes policies as reflected elsewhere in Part two of this guidance, such as online safety (see paragraphs 164-169), and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) (see paragraphs 249-251), • is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and updated if needed, so that it is kept up to date with safeguarding issues as they emerge and evolve, including lessons learnt, and • is available publicly either via the school or college website or by other means.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 123, page 36
Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure that their child protection policy includes: • procedures to minimise the risk of child-on-child abuse, • the systems in place (and they should be well promoted, easily understood and easily accessible) for children to confidently report abuse, knowing their concerns will be treated seriously, • how allegations of child-on-child abuse will be recorded, investigated, and dealt with,
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 193, pages 51-53
Show 8 more from this source
The policy should include the school or college’s approach to it.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 193, page 52
Online safety and the school or college’s approach to it should be reflected in the child protection policy which, amongst other things, should include appropriate filtering and monitoring on school devices and school networks.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 169 (Online safety policy), page 47
Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure their child protection policy reflects the fact that additional barriers can exist when recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation in this group of children.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 249, page 64
Governing bodies and proprietors should understand the local criteria for action33 and the local protocol for assessment34 and ensure they are reflected in their own policies and procedures.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 137, page 39
School and college safeguarding policies should set out the arrangements for individuals coming onto their premises, which may include an assessment of the education value, the age appropriateness of what is going to be delivered and whether relevant checks will be required.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 382, page 96
Schools and colleges should also provide a copy of the school or college’s child protection policy and practices and policy on employment of ex-offenders in the application pack or refer to a link on its website.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 293, page 74
Schools and colleges should ensure that their low-level concerns policy contains a procedure for sharing confidentially such concerns which is clear, easy to understand and implement.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 516, under heading 'Sharing low-level concerns', page 122
a staff behaviour policy29 (sometimes called the code of conduct) which should, amongst other things, include low-level concerns, allegations against staff and whistleblowing
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ para 123 (bullet list of safeguarding policies and procedures), page 37
Questions schools ask
Do schools have to publish their child protection policy?
For academies and maintained schools, it's recommended in official guidance, but isn't a legal requirement in itself.
What does a school child protection policy need to cover?
Sets out a procedure for sharing low-level concerns confidentially; Sets out procedures to minimise the risk of child-on-child abuse; Sets out the systems for children to confidently report abuse, which are well promoted and easy to understand; Says how allegations of child-on-child abuse are recorded, investigated and dealt with; Says the school has appropriate filtering and monitoring on its devices and networks; Explains the extra barriers to recognising abuse, neglect and exploitation in children with special educational needs, disabilities or health conditions; and 2 more parts listed above.
How often does our child protection policy need reviewing?
Every September. Review it each year, usually when the new Keeping children safe in education comes out.
Where does the requirement for the child protection policy come from?
It is set out in Keeping children safe in education.
Recent changes to the official guidance
The official sources for this requirement don't publish dated change notes. We check them for changes ourselves.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
Is this on your school's website?
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4