Safeguarding Leadership Tools

🔒 Fully in line with KCSIE 2025 and the 2025 Education Inspection Framework

This Single Central Record (SCR) Compliance Bundle gives DSLs, headteachers and school leaders a practical toolkit for checking safer recruitment and record-keeping processes against Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whether you're preparing for inspection or conducting routine compliance checks, these templates help you identify gaps quickly and document your findings clearly.

You'll get:

☑️ Single Central Record (SCR) Overview Checklist – conduct whole-record checks to verify you're recording information about the correct people (staff members, trainee teachers, agency and third-party workers, volunteers and contractors), confirm the right checks have been completed for each role (enhanced DBS checks, children's barred list checks, Section 128 checks, right to work in the UK checks and other statutory and recommended checks), and identify any missing dates or information

☑️ Single Central Record (SCR) Spot Check Template – triangulate your SCR evidence by comparing records against personnel files, identify discrepancies between your SCR and actual documentation, and document your findings clearly for governors and inspectors

All templates are fully editable Word documents so you can adapt them for your school's specific context and reuse them throughout the year to maintain compliance.

👉 Looking for further support on preparing for inspection? These resources are also available as part of the full Ofsted Inspection Preparation Pack too.

🔄 Updated for 2026

Safeguarding governors need to do more than review data at termly meetings – they also have a role in checking, in the moment, that safeguarding culture, policy and practice are working as they should day to day. These spot check questions give safeguarding link governors a practical tool for doing exactly that.

Whether dipping into a specific area of practice, having a quick conversation with a member of staff or checking that procedures are being followed on the ground, this template provides ready-to-use questions for governors to use during informal visits and spot checks in school.

You'll get:

☑️ Safeguarding Spot Check Questions – a focused set of questions for safeguarding link governors to use during school visits, covering the key areas of safeguarding culture, policy and day-to-day practice

Fully editable so you can adapt it to reflect your school's context and priorities.

👉 This set of questions is also available in the larger Safeguarding Link Governor Support Pack, which has a set of deeper, more strategic set of safeguarding questions, a safeguarding report to governors template and a roles and responsibilities document.

If you need to use alterative provision (AP) to support any of your pupils, you'll also need to check that the AP is a suitable setting, not only because of Ofsted requirements of using an AP but also to ensure the continued safeguarding and quality of education for your pupil(s).

This checklist is designed to support school leaders to consider how the potential alternative provision approaches the following key areas:

• Safeguarding
• Health and Safety
• Curriculum and Quality of Education
• Behaviour and Attendance
• Pupil Support and Transition
• Communication and Information Sharing
• Ofsted Requirements

You may find it beneficial to work through this checklist with the headteacher of the alternative provision (AP) so that you can agree to any arrangements and adjustments to support your pupil. It also offers guidance around where you may find the information you need to evaluate whether the AP is suitable.

The checklist should be used before a decision is made about sending a pupil to an alternative provision but it can also be used for existing APs that you work with to ensure that your pupils are in a setting that keeps them safe and helps them to thrive. By working through this checklist - which can be used as many times as needed - you can make informed decisions and assure yourself that the AP you choose will meet the needs of your pupil(s). 

Thinking about doing a spot check on your safeguarding and child protection procedures or wondering what Ofsted will ask about safeguarding when they visit in 2026? This pack, perfect for school leaders and DSLs, has been designed to give you the tools to gather a snapshot view of safeguarding in your setting, allowing you to gain insight into how others could view your safeguarding practice.