How often should the full governing body review safeguarding?

KCSIE 2025 expects a strategic review at least annually, but most well-governed schools take a termly safeguarding report into the relevant committee and a fuller annual review into the full board. The annual review should test the effectiveness of arrangements, not just confirm policies are in place.

What evidence should a link safeguarding governor be looking for?

Triangulated evidence: the single central record, the DSL's logs (anonymised where appropriate), filtering and monitoring reports, pupil voice from the school council or surveys, and staff training records. The link governor should test the system, not simply receive assurance.

training material

Governor Safeguarding Oversight Under KCSIE 2025

A practical KCSIE 2025-aligned framework setting out what governing bodies and academy trustees must oversee in relation to safeguarding and online safety.

Chairs of governors, link safeguarding governors, academy trustees, and clerks preparing committee papers60–90 minutes to review

Governors and trustees carry strategic responsibility for safeguarding even though day-to-day delivery sits with the headteacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead. This resource translates the governance expectations in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 into a concrete oversight model: what to ask for, when to ask for it, and what "good" looks like in the papers a governing body sees. It covers annual safeguarding training for all governors, the role of the named link safeguarding governor, termly safeguarding reports from the DSL, monitoring of complaints and low-level concerns, and dedicated scrutiny of filtering and monitoring under the Department for Education's standards.

What's included

Annual training expectations for every governor, including induction and refresher cycles

Role description for the link safeguarding governor and a sample termly visit template

Standing agenda items for the safeguarding committee aligned to KCSIE 2025 Part 2

Termly safeguarding report template covering referrals, low-level concerns, and online incidents

Filtering and monitoring oversight checklist against the DfE filtering and monitoring standards

Complaints monitoring framework distinguishing safeguarding concerns from general complaints

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Resources

School Resource

School Governor Safeguarding Briefing Pack

School Resource

Online Safety Policy Template

School Resource

Termly Online Safety Calendar