Safeguarding Audit Pack (2025)

This audit pack gives you a full set of editable tools to help you evaluate and improve safeguarding culture, practice and compliance in your school. Every document is designed to support strategic self-evaluation, save time and help you plan next steps with clarity.

You’ll get:

☑️ A 43-page editable Safeguarding Audit document

This comprehensive safeguarding audit tool includes structured reflection questions and prompts across eight key areas of safeguarding. It helps you evaluate strengths, identify risks and consider a wide range of evidence to support improvement. The eight areas are:

• Safeguarding Culture
• Safeguarding Knowledge, Training and Information for Staff
• Safeguarding Leadership and Management
• Safer Recruitment and the Single Central Record
• Responding to Safeguarding Concerns, Disclosures and Allegations
• Child-on-Child Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
• Site Safety, Supervision and Online Protection
• Evaluating Impact and Continuous Improvement

Work through it at your own pace with colleagues and stakeholders to build a clear, evidence-based view of your school’s safeguarding provision and compliance.

☑️ Action plan template

A simple, editable Word document to help you capture priorities and set clear, strategic next steps to strengthen safeguarding practice and ensure statutory compliance.

☑️ Safeguarding document checklist

Helps you identify and gather the key safeguarding documents to support your school’s self-evaluation and inspection readiness.

☑️ Safeguarding question bank

Editable questions to support safeguarding-focused pupil voice, staff feedback, parent/carer engagement and governor scrutiny – ideal for triangulating evidence on culture, practice and impact.

☑️ One-page summary template

A flexible Word template for sharing key findings on safeguarding with SLT, governors or trust leaders.

☑️ PDF guidance: Auditing your School's Provision

A practical printable guide to help you audit effectively, with tips on planning, reviewing and involving others in the process. A print-friendly version is included.

Every document is provided in an editable Word format, except for the PDF guide. A free update will be available in September once the final Ofsted framework is published.

This audit pack is designed for anyone with responsibility for leading, evaluating or improving safeguarding in a school. This includes designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), deputy DSLs, headteachers, deputy heads and assistant heads, as well as safeguarding governors, child protection leads and anyone overseeing safeguarding compliance and culture.

It’s particularly useful for DSLs and senior leaders who want to review safeguarding provision systematically, identify strengths and risks, and plan improvements ahead of inspection. Leaders preparing for Ofsted can use the pack to structure their self-evaluation and demonstrate how safeguarding is monitored, strengthened and embedded across school practice.

Governors and trust executives can also use the pack to support strategic safeguarding reviews, ensure statutory duties are met, and shape trust-wide safeguarding expectations. It’s a practical tool for evidencing compliance, culture and continuous improvement under the Ofsted 2025 framework.

This audit pack is based on the best practice in schools and the structure and themes from the draft 2025 Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit. The final version is expected in September 2025. As soon as the final framework is published, we’ll review and update this resource to ensure full alignment.

If you’ve already purchased the pack, you’ll receive the updated version for free – no need to buy again.

Will the updated version be very different?

This all depends on the outcomes of the consultation but at the moment, the audit pack reflects the key areas and language in the consultation draft. However, we’ll make sure any structural or wording updates from Ofsted are carefully reflected.

Can I still use the pack now?

Yes, definitely! It’s been designed to help schools reflect, plan and take action without waiting. All the audit questions and themes are grounded in best practice and real school priorities, so you can use the pack confidently as part of ongoing self-evaluation, curriculum reviews or preparation for inspection.

Do I need to do anything to get the updated version?

No. Once the resource is updated, we’ll send you a product update email which will give you instructions to redownload. You can also log into your account on our website at any time to re-download the latest version from your order history.

If you’re reviewing safeguarding culture, compliance and practice, these related resources can help you strengthen staff knowledge, deliver effective training and explore safeguarding concerns in depth.

Safeguarding Training Pack – Full Academic Year

A comprehensive training pack with ready-to-use safeguarding scenarios, quizzes and activities to support whole-school safeguarding CPD throughout the year.

KCSIE Annual Safeguarding Refresher Training

Editable PowerPoint and handouts to deliver this year’s KCSIE updates clearly and confidently, keeping staff informed of statutory safeguarding changes.

Build Your Own Safeguarding Training Scenarios Bundle

Choose any six safeguarding scenarios to create a bespoke training bundle that addresses the specific issues and risks most relevant to your setting.

Have a look at what's in the pack here: Safeguarding Audit Pack