Teacher record checks: what a school looks at before you start

In England, a school, college, supply agency or other organisation must check a teacher’s record before the teacher starts working for them, as part of safeguarding checks. The Teaching Regulation Agency holds the record, and the online check takes minutes. The DBS check, which looks at criminal records, is a separate step.

What the record shows

The government guidance says a teacher’s record tells the employer whether you have:

• qualified teacher status (QTS), qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS) status or early years teacher status
• passed your induction
• national professional qualifications or the mandatory qualifications for teaching pupils with sensory impairments
• been prohibited from teaching by the Teaching Regulation Agency
• had sanctions or restrictions placed on you by the General Teaching Council for England
• been found guilty of serious misconduct but not prohibited from teaching

For a newly qualified teacher, this is how the school confirms the status you list on your application. Our guide to what QTS is covers how you gain it.

What it does not show

The record does not say whether you are allowed to manage or govern schools. Employers check the section 128 list for that. It does not say whether you are barred from working with children either: regulated employers use the DBS children’s barred list service for that question. The guidance says employers should use that service in only two situations. One is where someone will start working with children while an enhanced DBS check is pending. The other is where they do not need a new enhanced DBS check because they worked with children in a school or college within the last three months. The full set of checks is in safer recruitment in schools.

Who is covered

The service applies in England. It covers anyone with a teacher reference number, including teachers, former teachers, teaching assistants and higher level teaching assistants. A school using a supply agency must get confirmation from the agency that it has completed the safeguarding checks.

To check one person, the employer needs your last name and date of birth, confirms your identity and uses a DfE Sign-in account. You do not need to know your TRN. To check several people at once, the employer needs all their dates of birth and TRNs. The NHS identity checks article shows how identity evidence is handled in health jobs.

If something looks wrong

If the record does not show your QTS, your induction or another status you hold, contact the Teaching Regulation Agency at [email protected], which aims to reply within five working days. A school with an urgent query while waiting for DfE access can email [email protected] with “urgent query” in the subject line.

An offer from a school is normally conditional on this and the other checks, so a problem found here can delay or end the appointment. If a record shows a prohibition or sanction you did not know about, a union or ACAS can advise you on the next step.

What to check

• Your name and date of birth match the record exactly.
• Your induction status is complete if you are an early career teacher. ECT induction explains the process.
• You have told the school about any gaps or overseas teaching, because those can add checks.
• Your offer letter lists what remains outstanding before your start date.