Teacher references and what schools ask

Schools in England must take up references for every teacher they appoint, and Keeping children safe in education 2026 (KCSIE, in force from 1 September 2026) sets out how. The reference has to come from your current employer, be written by a senior person, and be requested by the school directly. It cannot be a “to whom it may concern” letter, and the school cannot rely on you to collect it.

What the guidance requires of the school

Paragraphs 302 to 304 of KCSIE cover references. The purpose is to give the school factual information to support its appointment decision. Schools should obtain references before interview where possible. That lets them ask the referee about anything that worries them, then raise it with you in the room.

Schools are told not to accept open references and not to rely on applicants to obtain their own. They should check that an electronic reference comes from a legitimate source and verify the content with the person who provided it. If a reference is vague or leaves things out, they contact the referee to clarify. They also compare the reference with your application form and take up any differences with you, and they establish why you left your current or most recent post. Any concerns have to be resolved before the appointment is confirmed.

This is the same framework behind safer recruitment in schools, where references sit next to identity, qualification and criminal record checks.

Who counts as a referee

KCSIE says the reference should be from your current employer and completed by a senior person with appropriate authority. If the referee works in a school, the guidance says the headteacher or principal should confirm the reference is accurate in respect of any disciplinary investigations. In practice that is why many schools send the request to the head or to HR and not to your line manager.

Your situation changes who is asked:

• If you are not currently employed, the school verifies your most recent relevant period of employment.
• If you are not currently working with children, the school secures a reference from the employer you had the last time you did.
• If you have never worked with children, the school asks your current employer.

Trainees and newly qualified teachers may have no current employer in the ordinary sense. KCSIE sets no separate rule for them, so check the school’s own application pack for who it wants named. Recent graduates and returners with a gap can read the guide to references across the public sector and the page on what to do if you cannot get a reference.

What your referee will be asked

The guidance does not give a form, so each school or local authority uses its own. The questions follow what KCSIE tells schools to establish: your dates of employment, your role, why you left, and whether the referee is satisfied of your suitability to work with children. Forms may ask for more than that, but anything beyond those points is local practice and is not listed in the guidance.

When a school is the one writing a reference, paragraph 304 says it should confirm whether it is satisfied with the applicant’s suitability to work with children. It should give the facts, not opinions, of any substantiated safeguarding concern or allegation that meets the harm threshold. It should leave out concerns that were unsubstantiated, unfounded, false or malicious, and repeated concerns that were all found to be so. References should be provided promptly and not hold up the recruitment.

What stays out of a reference

Paragraph 502 repeats the rule for allegations: a substantiated allegation that meets the harm threshold goes in, and it must be factual with no opinion added. Paragraph 524 deals with low-level concerns, which should not be included unless they relate to something a reference would normally cover, such as misconduct or poor performance.

For your own situation, there is separate information on your rights about references. If you believe a reference is inaccurate, ACAS and your union can advise.

Practical points before you apply

Tell your referee that the school will contact them, and give them the school’s name and the closing date. A senior person who is on leave when the request arrives can hold up an offer, and the guidance says references should not delay the process. Make sure the employment dates and job title on your teacher application form match what your employer’s records say, because the school compares the two and queries any difference with you.