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View This BlogWho is advised to read Annex A of KCSIE? From classroom to boardroom, discover which school staff need this key safeguarding summary
When Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) lands in your inbox each year, a common question comes to mind: Who is advised to read Annex A of KCSIE? Annex A steps bring a simple solution, offering a concise summary of core safeguarding principles for specific school and college staff.
Not every member of staff needs to tackle the full Part 1 of KCSIE, but everyone must understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Annex A explains the basics in simple terms, so it’s also good for people who don’t work with students every day, but are still responsible for identifying signs of risk and for reporting concerns.
This blog explains exactly who the Department for Education (DfE) guidance advises to read Annex A, why it matters for compliance, and how it fits into your school’s wider safeguarding training framework.
What is KCSIE?
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is the legal guide that all schools and colleges in the UK have to follow. It tells them what they have to do to keep children safe and ensure that they’re well.
The Department for Education distributes the guidance annually. It illustrates the risks today, what is expected and best ways to protect children. This applies to all schools in England – maintained schools, academies, free schools and alternative provision settings and further education colleges.
KCSIE is mandatory. It is also a statutory guidance, which means that governing bodies, owners and management committees must follow it when they do their safeguarding duties. Knowing its structure, which, like Part One and Annex A, is important to remain compliant and maintain a strong safeguarding culture.
What is Annex A of KCSIE?
Annex A is a short area in Keeping Children Safe in Education, giving a brief overview of key safeguarding information. It is made to assist staff in understanding important child protection issues and to know how to do things properly.
While the main part of KCSIE has detailed legal rules for governors, owners and safeguarding leads, Annex A is more concerned with the knowledge of safeguarding that staff need in their jobs.
On the other hand, Annex A provides an explanation about the safeguarding knowledge that school and college staff should have. This includes recognising various types of abuse, what risk factors are and the methods for reporting concerns. It helps staff identify warning signs at an early stage and take the correct steps.
Making these basics easy to understand, Annex A helps those who have little time/experience working with safeguarding quickly learn what they need to do. It also bridges the legal rules and ordinary working and aids in the full detail of the document.
Who needs to read Annex A?
Annex A is an important part of the Keeping Children Safe in Education. It helps all school and college staff to understand what their duty is to protect children. It’s useful if you haven’t the time or ability to read the entire KCSIE but do want to know what to be looking out for and what to do if you are concerned about a child.
Here are some of them who needs to read Annex A:
1. All School and College Staff
Annex A is useful for everyone who works in a school or college, not just teachers. That includes teaching assistants, support staff, admin teams and site staff too. If you work where children are, you are part of the safeguarding picture.
By reading Annex A, staff can spot concerns earlier, understand how to share worries properly and see that safeguarding is a shared responsibility. It makes it clear that keeping children safe is part of everyone’s job, whatever their role title.
2. Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs)
DSLs and deputy DSLs will normally read the full KCSIE guidance. Even so, Annex A is still important for them, because it brings together the key points they need other staff to understand quickly.
Having Annex A at their fingertips helps DSLs explain expectations in training, respond to questions and keep daily safeguarding practice consistent. It also gives them a handy summary to refer staff back to when they need a reminder of the basics.
3. Governors and Trustees
Governors and trustees don’t come to the classroom every day. They still have to ensure that the safety measures function. Annex A gives them examples of what good practise can look like to the staff.
As long as governors understand the essential points outlined in Annex A, they will be able to ask more effective questions and support leaders in their difficulties and keep safety on the agenda. This creates a stronger safety culture throughout the entire organisation.
4. Volunteers and Temporary Staff
Volunteers, substitute teachers and other temporary staff may only be in one school for a short period of time. They will likely not read the entire KCSIE document before they actually begin but even so, they need information to be safe enough.
In these cases, Annex A can be a simple option. It gives them clear guidance on what signs to watch for, who to speak to if they are worried, and why they must never ignore or investigate concerns on their own.
What does Annex A cover?
Annex A provides school and college staff with a good working knowledge of the key topics that they will need to know about safeguarding. It focuses on recognising risks, understanding responses, and knowing when to act, pulling together the essentials from the full KCSIE guidance into one focused reference.
Here’s what it covers:
- Types of abuse and neglect: Helps staff to spot signs of physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect, so they can identify times when a child may need protecting.
- Child-on-child abuse: Deals with peer-on-peer issues such as bullying, sexual violence and harassment, explaining how staff should deal with such issues and make and report them.
- Online safety risks: Explains digital dangers such as grooming, sexting and harmful online content, and why staff must stay alert to technology-related harms.
- Mental health concerns: Shows how mental health struggles can link to safeguarding risks, helping staff know when to raise pastoral worries as safety issues.
- Early help: Guides staff on spotting when a child needs support services before situations worsen and require formal social care involvement.
- Reporting procedures: Explains the steps to help you share your concerns with the DSL, what information you should take down and why it’s important to act quickly and confidently.
Is reading Annex A mandatory?
Reading Annex A isn’t a strict legal requirement like the full KCSIE guidance, but schools and colleges are expected to ensure all staff understand its content. The DfE guidance states that staff who don’t work directly with children should read Annex A as their main safeguarding reference.
For those providing teaching and support work, Annex A provides the basic information they need. Schools can demonstrate compliance by confirming that staff have received, read, and understood this summary through induction, training records or signed acknowledgements.
Unlike Part 1 for DSLs, it is not a compulsory requirement, but access to Annex A and making sure that staff use it complies with safeguarding rules and aids in Ofsted inspections.
What is the difference between Annex A and Part One?
Both Annex A and Part One contain essential safeguarding information, but they serve different audiences and purposes within KCSIE. Understanding these differences helps schools allocate the right guidance to the right staff, ensuring everyone gets what they need without unnecessary overload.
| Aspect | Annex A | Part One |
| Who reads it | Basic awareness, such as types of abuse, reporting, responsibilities | Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and deputies as their primary reference |
| Length | Short summary (10-12 pages) | Detailed guidance (30+ pages) |
| Purpose | Quick reference of core safeguarding essentials | Comprehensive procedures for managing safeguarding |
| Content depth | Full procedures such as referrals, records, and multi-agency working | Basic awareness, such as types of abuse, reporting, and responsibilities |
| For Whom | Annex A is for ALL staff | Part One is DSLs’ main guidance |
| Replaces full KCSIE | Doesn’t replace KCSIE. It’s a summary within KCSIE | Part One is core operational guidance, and it doesn’t replace KCSIE |
| Optional | Not optional, Schools must ensure staff know this content | Mandatory for DSLs and leadership |
In short, Annex A is the starting point for most staff. And Part One gives DSLs the detail they need to manage cases. Together, they ensure everyone in your school understands safeguarding at the right level.
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Get Access NowHow often should staff review Annex A?
Staff should review Annex A at least once a year, plus during induction for new starters. This keeps safeguarding knowledge current and compliant with KCSIE expectations.
You might be wondering how this works in practice. It starts with safeguarding training when someone first joins your school or college. In this way, they understand their proper responsibilities from day one.
Then come annual refreshers. These keep everyone sharp on key risks and procedures, especially since KCSIE gets updated every year with new priorities.
Don’t forget CPD programmes too. They should weave in Annex A content regularly, particularly after policy updates or when you onboard new team members.
Want to make this easier for your school? High Skills Training offers flexible, CPD-accredited safeguarding courses that build on Annex A with real-world scenarios perfect for busy school staff and leaders.
FAQs
What are the 5 main safeguarding issues in schools?
The five main safeguarding issues in schools are: child abuse, neglect, bullying, online safety, and radicalisation. Schools must protect pupils from harm, recognise warning signs, and follow procedures to keep children safe.
What is the role of a safeguarding coordinator?
A safeguarding coordinator, often called the Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensures child protection policies are followed, manages safeguarding concerns, provides staff guidance, liaises with external agencies, and promotes a safe environment for children in schools or organisations.
How many parts are there to kcsie?
Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) is divided into four main parts: safeguarding information for schools, safer recruitment, child protection procedures, and guidance for managing specific risks.
What part of KCSIe should teachers read?
Teachers should read the sections of KCSIE covering safeguarding duties, child protection policies, recognising abuse, and reporting procedures.
Conclusion
Annex A makes safeguarding simple and accessible for everyone in schools and colleges. Whether you’re a teacher spotting concerns, an admin staff member overhearing something worrying, or a governor checking compliance, it gives you the essentials you need to act confidently.
Understanding who is advised to read Annex A of KCSIE ensures your whole team, from classroom staff to leadership. It helps you choose the right level of safeguarding knowledge. This shared awareness creates a stronger, safer culture that protects every child, from the classroom to the boardroom.
