Safer Recruitment Checklist for Schools (KCSIE 2025)

{[ ["Enhanced DBS with children's barred list","Required for all staff who will have contact with pupils"], ["Identity verification","Must be completed in person — not via document copies"], ["Right to work in the UK","Must be verified before work begins"], ["Prohibition from teaching (teachers only)","Check via the Teacher Services (Employer Access) system — mandatory for all teachers"], ["Prohibition from management","For relevant staff in certain leadership roles"], ["Overseas criminal record check","Required where a candidate has lived or worked outside the UK"], ["References — minimum two","At least one from the most recent employer. References must be taken up before appointment, not after"], ["Childcare disqualification","For early years and out of school care settings"], ["Section 128 check","For academy and independent school management roles"], ["Medical fitness","All appointments are subject to confirmation of medical fitness"] ].map(([title, sub]) => ` `).join('')}

{[ ["Allowing staff to start before DBS returned without risk assessment","Permissible in specific circumstances only — but must be documented with a written risk assessment and supervision arrangements"], ["Not recording the rationale for a risk assessment on a disclosed conviction","The decision to appoint despite a disclosure must be documented. The rationale must be specific, not generic"], ["Failing to check prohibition from teaching","This check is often missed for supply teachers and cover supervisors — KCSIE 2025 requires it for all teachers"], ["Incomplete reference process","Verbal references must be followed up in writing. References must be from the most recent employer and taken up before appointment"], ["Not checking overseas criminal records","A UK DBS check does not cover offences committed abroad. For staff with overseas history, a separate check is mandatory"] ].map(([title, sub]) => ` `).join('')}