DBS Checks For Schools, Colleges, Childcare and people in Education
DBS Checks for Education
In the United Kingdom, there are five stages of education: early years, primary, secondary, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE). Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 16 (4 and 16 in Northern Ireland).
For students within the educational system, their health, wellbeing and safeguarding is as important as their learning, attainment and progress through the stages. While further and higher education is not compulsory for young people, the early years, primary and secondary stages require children to be present in formal education or in a home school setting.
Early Years runs from birth to 5 years old, which means that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) runs across childcare, nursery and primary and infant schools’ reception year.
Do Teachers Need a DBS check?
Yes, government education regulator, Ofsted, has made DBS checks for teaching staff a requirement of employment. For teachers and teaching assistants, an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barring List is statutory.
As members of the teaching staff, the position requires direct contact with children on a regular and frequent basis.
This includes all teaching staff including Headteachers, Teachers, NQT (Newly Qualified Teachers) Teachers, Intervention Specialists, Higher Level Teaching Assistants, Teaching Assistants, One-to-one Support Assistants and parent or community volunteers that work with the children in activities, such as reading.
Every school’s Safeguarding Policy will reference the requirement for all teaching staff to undergo an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List check.
Do I Need DBS Check to Teach in an FE College?
Yes, a child is defined as an individual under the age of 18 and therefore classified as vulnerable. While some of the students in further education will reach the age of 18 during study, there will be many students under the age of 18 on site.
This means that all teaching and teaching support staff will need an Enhanced DBS with Children’s Barred List.
Do I Need a DBS check to Lecture in a University?
Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and universities will have DBS policies that reflect their particular circumstances. While the majority of universities’ students are aged 18 and over, there are certain colleges that allow under-18 entry.
As such, most universities do not insist on Enhanced DBS checks, but they may require a DBS check.
For certain healthcare courses or education courses, an Enhanced DBS check may be required.
While teaching roles in universities may not require Enhanced Disclosure, there may be student support services that require an Enhanced DBS check. Non-teaching administrative staff involved with the finances of the institution may require a Basic or Standard DBS check.
There are some university courses that require students on certain courses to have an Enhanced DBS check as a requirement of the course. These courses will advise students of the requirements. Courses that require Enhanced Disclosure for students include medicine, dentistry and education.
Who is eligible for a DBS check in a school setting?
Any individual who works or volunteers in roles within schools where they have unsupervised contact with children will likely need a DBS check.
There are three levels of DBS check – basic, standard and enhanced. It is key to the safeguarding of students and other members of staff that all employees undertake the check they are eligible for.
There are roles in schools that do not involve direct contact with children. However, the school community means that there is a lot of mixing, and all members of staff are likely to have unsupervised contact with children at some point in their day-to-day work.
While schools could insist on a Basic DBS check for all staff, many schools prioritise safeguarding and require that all staff have a Standard DBS check or above. This would be standardised across all admirative staff, cleaning and catering staff.
DBS checks will also be required for many visitors to school sites, such as building contractors.
Employees that work in the establishment on a frequent basis, detailed above, they will likely be eligible for an enhanced DBS check with a check against the children’s barred list. These employees would include maintenance teams, catering and administrative staff.
It’s clear to see that tutors work closely and directly with children and young people – a vulnerable group – and it is advisable that a tutor working with children would have an Enhanced DBS check.
Do Parents Need a DBS?
Parents will not need a DBS to drop off and pick up their children from school, or to attend school events. However, some parents actively get involved in school life, from PTA fundraising to governance.
Parent Governors will be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check in a maintained school and can be disqualified from holding office as a governor if they refuse a request for a DBS check.
What Does an Enhanced DBS Check for Schools Show?
An Enhanced DBS Check for school staff, regardless of role within the setting, will show any spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings or reprimands on an individual’s record.
A Basic DBS check will show any unspent criminal cautions and convictions that are unspent.
At MyVetting, online Basic and Enhanced DBS checks are affordable and can be returned quickly, with a paper DBS certificate will also be issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service.
How Do I get an Enhanced DBS Check for School Staff?
With MyVetting’s streamlined DBS application process, we help schools and educational settings across all stages to meet their safeguarding policies.
Online Enhanced DBS Checks for School Staff
Applying for online Enhanced DBS Checks for school staff working is quick and simple.
Register in seconds and send check alerts directly to your employees. They’ll be alerted instantly and can begin the check process straight away. Don’t worry – if they’re busy and forget to start their check, we’ll send them a text reminder after 24 and 48 hours.
When your employees upload their proof of identity, their reports will be returned within 5-10 days.
