This page is about schools in England. It does not cover Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The guidance and regulations
Keeping children safe in education 2026 (KCSIE) is the current statutory guidance, in force from 1 September 2026. GOV.UK updated the publication on that date, replacing the 2025 edition. The paragraph references below are to Part 3 of the September 2026 edition.
KCSIE paragraph 347 requires schools to maintain a single central record of pre-appointment checks. Its footnote 96 cites the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, regulations 12(7) and 24(7) and Schedule 2, and Part 4 of the Schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, among the legislation underpinning the record.
For our earlier explanation, read the single central record article.
Who must be on the single central record?
For schools, the SCR must cover all staff, including teacher trainees on salaried routes, and agency and third-party supply staff even if they work for one day. Independent schools must also include all members of the proprietor body. For academies and free schools, this means the academy trust's members and trustees (paragraph 348).
The record can be on paper or electronic (paragraph 353). A multi-academy trust must keep details of the checks carried out in each academy. It does not need a separate record for every academy, but should record the information so that each academy's details can be provided separately and without delay to those entitled to inspect them (paragraph 354).
Checks on volunteers and maintained-school governors can be recorded as additional information; their duties are set out separately below (paragraphs 352 and 393). Fee-funded trainees do not have to be entered on the school's SCR (paragraph 376).
Staff and salaried trainee teachers: checks and dates
The SCR must show whether each applicable check was carried out or certificate obtained, and the date each check was completed or certificate obtained (paragraph 350):
- Identity. Verify the candidate's identity (paragraph 313).
- Enhanced DBS. Record the enhanced DBS check requested/certificate provided, with children's barred list information for regulated activity. Record a standalone children's barred list check where applicable (paragraphs 313 and 350). Barred list information must not be requested for anyone who is neither engaging in nor seeking to engage in regulated activity (paragraph 320).
- Prohibition from teaching. Schools must ensure an applicant employed to carry out teaching work is not prohibited from teaching (paragraph 313).
- Overseas checks. Record further checks for people who have lived or worked outside the UK (paragraphs 350 and 359–363).
- Professional qualifications. Check and record them where required. Use DfE's Check a teacher's record to verify QTS and completion of induction or probation (paragraphs 313 and 350).
- Right to work in the UK. Verify and record the check (paragraphs 313 and 350).
- Section 128. Independent schools, including academies and free schools, must record the section 128 checks for people in management positions (paragraph 350). Whether a role counts as management depends on its responsibilities, not just its title (paragraphs 335–336).
For school-salaried initial teacher training, the school must ensure all necessary checks are carried out, including an enhanced DBS check with children's barred list information (paragraph 374). These trainees belong on the SCR with the staff checks and dates (paragraphs 348–350).
KCSIE also requires verification of a candidate's mental and physical fitness for the role (paragraph 313). That requirement is separate from the minimum SCR fields listed in paragraph 350.
Agency and third-party supply staff
Obtain written notification that the agency or third party has carried out the checks the school would otherwise perform. This includes staff delivering education on the school's behalf online. The notification must confirm that the enhanced DBS certificate has been obtained by the employment business or another such business (paragraph 364).
The SCR must record (paragraph 349):
- whether written confirmation of the relevant checks and appropriate certificates has been received;
- the date the confirmation was received; and
- whether details of an enhanced DBS certificate have been provided for that member of staff.
Independent schools and non-maintained special schools should also include the date any certificate was obtained (footnote 97).
Where the agency obtained the enhanced DBS certificate before the person is due to start, and it disclosed any matter or information, or information was provided to the employment business, the school must obtain a copy from the agency (paragraph 365). Where a children's barred list check is required, the agency must obtain an enhanced DBS certificate with that information before appointing the individual (paragraph 366).
The school should also check that the person arriving is the person on whom the checks were made (paragraph 367).
Independent schools, including academies and free schools: Part 4 of the independent school standards adds specific requirements. The proprietor must obtain a copy of any enhanced DBS certificate the agency obtained before the person starts, and must require the agency to provide certificate copies through the contract or other arrangements (paragraph 19(2)(a)(ii) and (d)(ii)). The school must check the person's identity before they begin work, even if the agency has already checked it (paragraph 19(2)(c)). The SCR must record whether the agency supplied a certificate copy where the notification says it obtained one (paragraph 21(5)(c)).
Also check the certificate timing rule in Part 4, paragraph 19(3): unless the exception in paragraph 19(4) applies, the enhanced DBS certificate must have been obtained no more than three months before the person is due to start. Paragraph 19(4) covers specified previous work in schools, further education institutions or 16 to 19 academies ending no more than three months before the new start date.
Fee-funded trainee teachers
The initial teacher training provider carries out the necessary checks. The school should obtain written confirmation that the provider has completed all the pre-appointment checks the school would otherwise have to perform, and has judged the trainee suitable to work with children (paragraph 375).
There is no requirement to record fee-funded trainees on the school's SCR. The school may choose to include them as additional information (paragraph 376).
Volunteers
Volunteer checks may be recorded on the SCR as additional information (paragraph 352).
A volunteer teaching, training, instructing or supervising children frequently, on more than 3 days in a 30-day period, or overnight is in regulated activity under KCSIE 2026 (paragraph 383). This is not the full definition: paragraph 317 also covers other activities, including relevant personal care and healthcare regardless of frequency. Count the period condition across settings. Where a volunteer meets it through work at several settings, the settings should agree who applies for the enhanced DBS check with barred list information, and the volunteer should supply that information to each setting (paragraph 384).
Schools must obtain an enhanced DBS check including children's barred list information for volunteers who will work in regulated activity (paragraph 313; see also paragraph 383). Supervision does not remove that requirement.
For an existing volunteer brought into regulated activity from 1 September 2026 by the change, the school must check children's barred list status. KCSIE sets out when a standalone check may be used while obtaining the enhanced certificate or following a recent enhanced check without barred list information where there has been no break in service since that certificate was issued (paragraph 385). In settings covered by the EYFS framework, volunteers must not start until the enhanced DBS certificate including barred list information has been received (paragraph 386).
For volunteers outside regulated activity, undertake and record a written risk assessment to decide what checks are needed. Consider the work, what is known about the volunteer, referees and whether another level of DBS check is appropriate (paragraphs 388–390). Under no circumstances should a volunteer on whom no checks have been obtained be left unsupervised or allowed to work in regulated activity (paragraph 387).
Governors, trustees and proprietors
Maintained-school governors: an enhanced DBS check is required; the governing body applies for governors who do not already have one. Governance alone is not regulated activity, so a children's barred list check is needed only if the governor also undertakes regulated activity. Schools should carry out a section 128 check. There is no requirement to record this governor information on the SCR, although schools can choose to do so (paragraphs 391–393).
Independent-school proprietors: all members of the proprietor body belong on the SCR; academy trust members and trustees are included (paragraph 348). For an individual proprietor or the chair of a proprietor body, the current independent school standards cover identity and right-to-work checks, an enhanced DBS check where relevant, and appropriate further overseas checks. The Secretary of State carries out or arranges the checks and receives the required confirmation under Part 4, paragraphs 20(3) and 20(5). KCSIE summarises these arrangements at paragraph 397. KCSIE gives an exception to the enhanced DBS requirement for a converting academy trust's chair who has already had a local-authority check (paragraph 399).
For other members of the proprietor body, the chair must ensure enhanced DBS and identity checks are completed and that members are not subject to a section 128 direction. Appropriate further overseas checks should be made where an enhanced DBS check is insufficient (paragraphs 400–402). Part 4, paragraph 20(6)(b) of the independent school standards also specifies right-to-work checks for other members of the proprietor body. Record whether the applicable checks were made, their dates and the date the resulting certificate was obtained (paragraph 21(6)–(7)). Paragraph 21 sets out the register particulars for staff, supply staff and the proprietor body.
Academy governance: the trust must require enhanced DBS checks for all trust members, individual charity trustees and the chair. This extends to delegates and members of committees, including a local governing body. Trusts must also check that members are not disqualified from management by a section 128 direction (paragraphs 403–404).
People who have lived or worked overseas
The same staff checks apply, including an enhanced DBS certificate even if the person has never been to the UK. Schools must also make the further checks they consider appropriate to consider relevant events outside the UK (paragraph 359).
These could include overseas criminal record checks and, for teaching posts, a letter from the relevant professional regulator about sanctions, restrictions or suitability. Where information is unavailable, seek alternative ways to check suitability or undertake a risk assessment to support the appointment decision. A teaching qualification alone does not establish safeguarding suitability (paragraphs 359–363). Record the further checks and their dates on the SCR (paragraph 350).
What can be kept, and for how long?
- The SCR entry: an individual's details should be removed once they no longer work at the school (paragraph 351).
- Personnel file: keep copies of documents used to verify the successful candidate's identity, right to work and required qualifications (paragraph 355).
- DBS certificates and disclosed criminal information: retaining a copy needs a valid reason, and it should not be kept for longer than six months. After destruction, the school may retain a record that vetting took place, its result and the recruitment decision (paragraph 356).
- Copies are not the SCR: keeping a DBS certificate copy is not required to fulfil the SCR duty (paragraph 357).
Schools may add other relevant information to the SCR, including volunteer and governor checks, safeguarding and safer recruitment training dates, and the name of the person who carried out each check (paragraph 352).
Common pitfalls
- Leaving a one-day supply appointment off the record (paragraph 348).
- Recording that checks happened without their completion or certificate dates, or omitting the date agency confirmation arrived (paragraphs 349–350).
- Treating fee-funded and salaried trainees as the same group (paragraphs 374–376).
- Treating supervision as removing a regular volunteer from regulated activity under the 2026 guidance (paragraph 383).
- Requesting barred list information for someone who is neither engaging in nor seeking to engage in regulated activity (paragraph 320).
- Treating an overseas teaching qualification as evidence of safeguarding suitability (paragraph 363).
- Keeping leavers on the SCR or retaining DBS copies beyond the period KCSIE specifies (paragraphs 351 and 356–357).
Safeguarding leadership and interview preparation
Read the safeguarding hub for the wider KCSIE responsibilities and use the DSL interview guide to prepare for safeguarding leadership questions.
