Safer recruitment in schools

Safer recruitment is the set of checks every school in England has to carry out before someone starts working with children. It comes from Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), the statutory guidance schools must follow. For a candidate it means a full application form instead of a CV, questions about any gaps, references taken up early, an online search, safeguarding questions at interview and an enhanced DBS check before you start. It applies to every role in the school, from teachers to cleaners.

Why schools ask for an application form

Schools are told not to accept CVs on their own. A form makes every candidate give the same information: full employment history with dates, reasons for leaving, qualifications, two referees and a declaration about criminal records. A CV lets people leave out the awkward parts, which is exactly what safer recruitment is meant to stop.

Expect the form to ask for your history in months and years, not just years. The person reading it is looking for gaps, overlaps and short stays. None is a problem in itself, but each will be asked about. If you have time out of work, explain it in a line on the form; Explaining employment gaps on an application has wording ideas.

The advert itself should carry a statement about the school’s commitment to safeguarding and say that the post is subject to an enhanced DBS check. If it is missing, the school’s recruitment pack will usually cover the same points.

Self-declaration of criminal records

Many forms now include a self-declaration, either on the form or as a separate sealed document that is only opened for shortlisted candidates. You are asked about convictions, cautions and anything else that would appear on an enhanced check. School jobs are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, so spent convictions must be declared unless they are filtered. If you have a record, read Applying for public sector jobs with a criminal record before you fill this in. Being honest here is far safer than having something surface later.

References before interview

KCSIE expects schools to take up references before interview where possible, so that any concerns can be explored with you face to face. Your current or most recent employer will usually be one referee. If you have worked with children before, the school will want a reference from that employer even if it was not your last job.

Schools are told not to accept open references (“to whom it may concern”) and to ask referees specific questions, including whether you have been subject to any disciplinary action relating to children. More on what referees are asked is in References in public sector recruitment.

Online searches

KCSIE tells schools to consider carrying out an online search on shortlisted candidates. The aim is to pick up anything publicly available that might need to be discussed, and holiday photos are not the target. Schools should tell you that they do it. If something public about you could be misread, it is reasonable to raise it yourself at interview.

What the interview looks like

At least one person on the interview panel in a maintained school should have completed safer recruitment training, and most academies follow the same practice. Alongside the questions about the job, expect one or two about safeguarding, such as what you would do if a pupil told you something worrying, or how you keep professional boundaries. The panel is checking that you understand the duty to pass concerns on. It is not testing your knowledge of the guidance word for word.

The panel will also go through anything flagged on your form: gaps, reasons for leaving and anything in the self-declaration. Teaching interviews add lessons and pupil panels, which are covered in Teaching interview day.

Checks after the offer

Any offer is conditional. Before you start, the school will normally complete:

• an enhanced DBS check with a children’s barred list check
• identity and right to work checks
• a check of your qualifications
• a prohibition from teaching check for anyone doing teaching work
• a check for anyone in a management role in an academy or independent school that they are not barred from management (a section 128 check)
• extra checks if you have lived or worked overseas
• a health questionnaire to confirm you are fit for the role

The enhanced DBS fee is £41.00 from 5 October 2026. Many schools pay it, and some ask staff to. If you are on the DBS Update Service, the school can check your existing certificate online instead of ordering a new one, provided it is the right level and workforce.

Every check goes on the school’s single central record, which Ofsted looks at during inspections. That is one reason schools will not let you start until every line is complete.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

KCSIE covers England. Wales has its own safeguarding guidance for schools, and the checks are similar, including enhanced DBS. In Scotland, people working with children join the PVG scheme through Disclosure Scotland, which costs £59 to join. In Northern Ireland, enhanced checks go through AccessNI at £32. Application forms, references and interview questioning work much the same way across all four nations.