Pre-employment checks in schools and colleges
In England, schools and colleges must have regard to Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), the Department for Education's statutory guidance. Its September 2026 version is in force. All offers should be conditional until the mandatory checks are complete: identity, an enhanced DBS check (with children's barred list information for regulated activity), mental and physical fitness, right to work, further checks for people who have lived or worked abroad, and professional qualifications as appropriate.
Schools must also make sure anyone employed for teaching work is not subject to a prohibition order, and independent schools, academies and free schools must run a section 128 check for management roles. Every check goes on the single central record. Since 1 September 2026, volunteers who teach, train, instruct or supervise children frequently or overnight are in regulated activity even if supervised.
What KCSIE 2026 requires before appointment
If someone will start regulated activity before their DBS certificate arrives, schools and colleges must get a separate children's barred list check and supervise them. That route is not available to 16 to 19 academies, special post-16 institutions, independent training providers or settings under the EYFS framework, including maintained nursery schools, which must wait for the enhanced certificate with barred list information.
Paid work in a school that gives the opportunity for contact with children is regulated activity if it is done frequently or on more than 3 days in 30, unless it is occasional and temporary, so most school roles qualify. DBS warns that asking for a level a role is not eligible for breaches data protection law.
A new enhanced certificate, and checks on events outside the UK, are not required if the person worked in a school in England, in a post with regular contact with children, in a period ending no more than three months before appointment, although you should consider asking for one. All other checks still apply, including a separate barred list check for anyone in regulated activity.
Teachers, managers and governors
The DfE's Check a teacher's record shows qualified teacher status, induction, prohibition by the Teaching Regulation Agency and historic GTCE sanctions. It is free and covers anyone with a teacher reference number, including teaching assistants. GOV.UK's guidance on the service says it will not tell you whether someone is barred from working with children or subject to a section 128 direction, which you check through the separate barred list check.
A section 128 direction bars a person from management in an independent school, academy or free school. The Department's view is that this includes headteachers, principals, deputy and assistant heads, governors and trustees, but the job title is not the determining factor. Governors need a barred list check only if they also do regulated activity.
Staff who work with children up to reception age, including nursery and reception classes and lunchtime or breakfast club supervision, staff in childcare outside school hours for children under 8, and those who manage that provision, including the headteacher, must also be checked against the childcare disqualification rules covered on our childcare page.
Shortlisting, references and online searches
Application packs should say whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and that applying for regulated activity while barred is an offence. Ask for a full employment history, and a criminal record self-declaration only at shortlisting.
Obtain references before interview where possible, never accept open references or rely on applicants to obtain them, and resolve concerns before confirming the appointment. KCSIE also asks you to consider a search engine search of shortlisted candidates, and to tell them it may be done.
The single central record
Schools and colleges must keep a single central record of pre-appointment checks. For schools it covers all staff, including salaried trainees and supply staff who work for one day, and in independent schools all members of the proprietor body. It must show whether each check was done, and when:
- identity
- a standalone children's barred list check
- an enhanced DBS check, with children's barred list check
- a prohibition from teaching check
- further checks on people who have lived or worked outside the UK
- professional qualifications, where required
- right to work in the UK
Supply staff, contractors and trainees
For supply staff, get written notification that the agency made the same checks you would, record the date, and get a copy of any enhanced certificate that disclosed information. Check that the person who arrives is the person checked. Fee-funded trainee teachers are checked by their training provider.
Contractors in regulated activity need an enhanced check with the children's barred list, and those with regular contact an enhanced check without it; for others the school decides whether a basic check is appropriate. An unchecked contractor must never work unsupervised.
Volunteers and the 1 September 2026 change
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 removed the supervision exemption. A volunteer who teaches, trains, instructs or supervises children frequently, on more than 3 days in 30, or overnight, is now in regulated activity, and KCSIE says to obtain an enhanced check with children's barred list information. For existing volunteers moved into regulated activity, schools must check barred list status. DBS's example is a weekly reading volunteer supervised by a teacher.
DBS says the change creates no new requirement to check; it changes the level a role is eligible for. For other volunteers, KCSIE asks for a written risk assessment, and an unchecked volunteer must never be left unsupervised. The DBS Update Service is free for volunteers.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
DBS checks and the September 2026 change apply in Wales too. In Wales, teachers and learning support workers in maintained schools, and since May 2023 in independent schools too, must be registered with the Education Workforce Council (EWC), unless they are volunteers. Schools, colleges and supply agencies can check the register, and a barred person cannot be registered.
In Scotland, PVG scheme membership is a legal requirement for regulated roles, which include teachers and classroom assistants. It is an offence to offer a regulated role before receiving a Level 2 disclosure confirming membership, though a conditional offer is allowed.
In Northern Ireland, AccessNI enhanced checks are normally required for roles providing services to children, and the September 2026 change applies there too.
Role-based check matrix
England only. Paragraph numbers refer to KCSIE 2026.
| Role or activity | Check | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher | Identity, enhanced DBS with barred list, fitness, right to work, qualifications as appropriate (QTS and induction through Check a teacher's record), prohibition check, overseas checks if relevant | KCSIE paragraphs 313, 318 and 359; Check a teacher's record |
| Teaching assistant | Identity, enhanced DBS with barred list, fitness, right to work, qualifications, and a prohibition check if they carry out teaching work | KCSIE paragraphs 313 and 318 |
| Management role in an independent school, academy or free school | As above, plus a recorded section 128 check | KCSIE paragraphs 313, 335 to 338 and 351 |
| Maintained school governor | Enhanced DBS (barred list only if in regulated activity) and section 128 check | KCSIE paragraphs 391 to 393 |
| Academy trustee, member or local governor | Enhanced DBS and section 128 check | KCSIE paragraphs 401, 403 and 404 |
| Supply staff | Written notification of the agency's checks; identity on arrival | KCSIE paragraphs 349 and 364 to 367 |
| Contractor | Enhanced with barred list if in regulated activity; enhanced if regular contact; otherwise the school decides | KCSIE paragraphs 369 to 373 |
| Volunteer, frequent or overnight | Enhanced DBS with barred list | KCSIE paragraphs 383 to 385 |
| Volunteer, occasional | Written risk assessment; never unsupervised without checks | KCSIE paragraphs 387 to 390 |
| Admin role with no opportunity for contact with children, which is rare for staff based in a school | Identity, right to work, mental and physical fitness, qualifications where required; only the DBS level the role is eligible for, and never barred list information | KCSIE paragraphs 313, 317, 318 and 320; DBS eligibility guidance |
What to tell the candidate
- Say whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and that applying for regulated activity while barred is an offence.
- Ask for a self-declaration only at shortlisting; protected cautions and convictions need not be disclosed.
- Tell shortlisted candidates that online searches may be done.
- Assess any DBS disclosure individually, with the candidate's explanation, and document a decision not to appoint.
- Get consent before an Update Service check.
Sources
- Keeping children safe in education 2026 · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Keeping children safe in education · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Check a teacher’s record · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Check the children's barred list · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026 · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- Regulated activity with children: myth busting the September 2026 Supervision Exemption changes · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- Eligibility for Roles working with children · GOV.UK (Disclosure and Barring Service)
- Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Keeping learners safe · Welsh Government
- Keeping learners safe: the role of local authorities, governing bodies and proprietors of independent schools under the Education Act 2002 · Welsh Government
- Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme · mygov.scot
- Regulated roles in education · mygov.scot
- Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020, section 73 · legislation.gov.uk
- Types of AccessNI checks · nidirect
- The Education Workforce Council (Additional Categories of Registration) (Wales) Order 2023, article 4 · legislation.gov.uk
General information for employers in the UK, not legal advice. HRjoy advises on screening policy and fair process. We do not run checks ourselves; where you need checks run, we can introduce you to our screening partners. Check the official sources for your situation.
Checks by role
Required or expected
- Teachers and most other school staff, who are usually in regulated activity: the full KCSIE checks, with a prohibition check for teaching work.
- Management roles, governors and trustees in independent schools, academies and free schools: a section 128 check.
- Maintained school governors: an enhanced DBS check and a section 128 check.
- Supply staff: written notification of the agency's checks.
- Volunteers who teach, train, instruct or supervise children frequently or overnight: enhanced DBS with children's barred list.
Depends on the role
- Contractors: the DBS level depends on their activity and contact.
- Occasional volunteers: whatever a written risk assessment supports.
- A search engine search of shortlisted candidates, after telling them.
Rarely justified
- Barred list information for anyone outside regulated activity, which KCSIE says must not be requested.
- DBS checks on visitors such as relatives at a sports day.
- Reviews of candidates' social media, which KCSIE does not ask for.
Questions
Something else? Ask us.
Can a new teaching assistant start before their DBS certificate arrives?
In most schools and colleges, yes, with a separate children's barred list check, all other checks complete and appropriate supervision. Not in 16 to 19 academies, special post-16 institutions or independent training providers, or in settings covered by the EYFS framework, such as a school nursery, where they must wait until the school has received the enhanced certificate with barred list information.
Does Check a teacher's record show whether someone is barred?
No. It shows qualified teacher status, induction, prohibition orders and historic GTCE sanctions, but not whether someone is barred from working with children or subject to a section 128 direction. Barred list information comes with the enhanced DBS check.
Do we have to keep copies of DBS certificates for the single central record?
No. If you choose to keep a copy, you should have a valid reason and not keep it longer than six months. You can keep a record that vetting was done, the result and the recruitment decision.
Do all parent volunteers now need an enhanced check with the barred list?
No. Volunteers who teach, train, instruct or supervise children frequently, on more than 3 days in 30, or overnight, are now in regulated activity, as is anyone giving personal care. DBS says a parent helping with art once a month is not. For others, KCSIE asks for a written risk assessment.
Related checks
- Criminal record checks for employers Which criminal record check a role can lawfully have in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and how to run it fairly.
- Employment references: what employers can ask and when When to ask for references, what to ask, the sector rules for care, schools, early years and FCA firms, and how to treat candidates fairly.
- Professional registration checks: which registers to check and when Which professional registers UK employers should check for nurses, dentists, teachers, solicitors and FCA roles, what each shows and where it applies.
- Qualification checks: verifying degrees and professional qualifications How UK employers can verify degrees and professional qualifications fairly, which official routes exist, and when a qualification check is required.
- Identity and address verification for employers What an employee identity check proves, how it differs from right to work, certified digital ID services, false documents and when to verify an address.
- Right to work checks: who to check and how from October 2026 Who needs a right to work check from 1 October 2026, including workers and sub-contractors, how each of the three methods works and follow-ups.
- International background checks for candidates who lived abroad Overseas criminal record certificates, references and qualifications for UK employers: when they are required, best practice, data transfers and fairness.
- Social media checks on job candidates When a UK employer can review a candidate's public social media, what to tell them, who should look, and what to do with what you find.
Sector guides
- Pre-employment checks in childcare and nurseries EYFS suitability checks from September 2026 for nurseries and childminders in England, Ofsted disqualification, household members and the rest of the UK.
- Background checks for charities and volunteers Trustee disqualification, free DBS checks for volunteers, safeguarding duties, PVG in Scotland and AccessNI in Northern Ireland, role by role.
- Pre-employment checks in health and social care in England What CQC regulation 19 and Schedule 3 require, which DBS check each care role can have, professional registers and agency staff checks in England.
Also covered in our guides for Construction and engineering, Hospitality and retail, Public sector, Recruitment agencies and Security and facilities.
Guides
- Which pre-employment checks are mandatory, and which are optional? A role and sector matrix of UK pre-employment checks: which the law requires, which a regulator expects and which are optional.
- The UK background screening checklist for employers A stage-by-stage background screening checklist for UK employers: who owns each step, what to record, and when to delete it.
Related answers
- How do employers carry out right to work checks? Before someone starts work, employers should carry out one of three prescribed checks: a manual check of original documents, a Home Office online check using a share code, or a check through a registered right to work digital verification service provider. Done correctly, it gives a statutory excuse against a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
- When must employers make reasonable adjustments? Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must make reasonable adjustments when they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that a worker or job applicant is disabled and is likely to be put at a substantial disadvantage by a working practice, a physical feature or the lack of an auxiliary aid. The employer pays for the adjustments.
- How should employers handle an employee subject access request? Employers should recognise the request, which can be made verbally or in writing, confirm the person's identity if needed, make a reasonable and proportionate search and respond without undue delay and within one month. Complex requests can be extended by up to two months. A fee usually cannot be charged, and information about other people may need redacting.
- How should probation periods work? There is no legal requirement to have a probation period, and it can be any length. Acas recommends clear written expectations, regular reviews, support to improve, extension where appropriate, and a fair procedure before any dismissal. Day-one rights such as protection from discrimination apply throughout, and the unfair dismissal qualifying period falls to 6 months from 1 January 2027.