Recommendation MAI-1: School-to-college records on radicalisation vulnerability
From Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 3: Radicalisation and Preventability, published 2 March 2023.
Recommendation
A clean start should be possible when a student moves from school to college or higher education, such that it would not be appropriate for a general file on significant behavioural problems to follow them at that point. However, there may still be value in passing on a record of any behaviour that is assessed to indicate vulnerability to radicalisation. I recommend that the Department for Education consider whether this is workable and, as with the school record, what nature of incident and level of seriousness should be included in this kind of record.
In brief (written by this site)
In a Cabinet Office dashboard update in February 2026, the Department for Education stated that implementation remained in progress, having analysed sector views on Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, but noted it still needed to discuss detailed proposals with ministers while "awaiting broader steers" on the government's approach (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The UK Government had accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
Accepted in full
Delivery
Cabinet Office says in progress (27 February 2026)
We utilised the existing call for evidence on the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KSCIE) statutory guidance to gather views from the sector to inform our response. We have these and have analysed the responses. We have had initial high level discussions with Ministers but need to take a more detailed submission to them to discuss our proposed approach, which is likely to be carried out through KCSIE and through non-statutory guidance on safeguarding learners vulnerable to radicalisation. We are awaiting broader steers on the new government's approach to KCSIE to inform how we incorporate our MAI recommendations.
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
Cabinet Office (14 November 2025)
We utilised the existing call for evidence on the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KSCIE) statutory guidance to gather views from the sector to inform our response. We have these and have analysed the responses. We have had initial high level discussions with Ministers but need to take a more detailed submission to them to discuss our proposed approach, which is likely to be carried out through KCSIE and through non-statutory guidance on safeguarding learners vulnerable to radicalisation. We are awaiting broader steers on the new government's approach to KCSIE to inform how we incorporate our MAI recommendations.
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Cabinet Office
Delivery statement