The Primary School Online Safety and Safeguarding Policy (2026) is a practical guidance document designed to support primary schools in England to meet the updated statutory expectations set out in RSHE 2025 and Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025.

As online risks facing children continue to evolve, this document helps schools understand what a robust, up-to-date online safety policy should include from 2026 onwards. It brings together curriculum expectations, safeguarding responsibilities, and operational requirements into one clear framework.

The guide outlines:

• What children should learn about online safety at KS1 and KS2, including topics such as online relationships, gaming harms, privacy, scams, AI-generated content, misinformation, and digital wellbeing.
• The expectations around filtering, monitoring, acceptable use policies, and generative AI, including roles and responsibilities for staff and leadership.
• Clear procedures for reporting, responding to, and recording online incidents, aligned with safeguarding practice.
• How schools should work with parents and carers, including communication, workshops, and home–school agreements.
• The importance of annual review, staff training, and keeping policies responsive to emerging risks.
• What inspectors look for, including evidence of staff awareness, systems in place, a reporting culture, and parent engagement.

The document is designed to be used as a policy-writing guide, a review checklist, and a safeguarding reference point for senior leaders, DSLs, governors, and teaching staff. It supports schools to feel confident that their online safety approach is consistent, age-appropriate, and aligned with current statutory guidance