How Schools Handle Safeguarding: A Simple Guide for Parents

Safeguarding is one of the most important responsibilities held by every school. Whether your child is beginning Reception or approaching the end of secondary school, you should be able to understand how the school protects pupils and what happens when someone raises a concern.

Safeguarding covers much more than responding to physical abuse. It includes neglect, emotional and sexual abuse, bullying, harmful behaviour between pupils, online risks, exploitation, domestic abuse, mental health concerns and circumstances outside school that may affect a child’s safety.

Schools are not expected to investigate every possible crime or family difficulty themselves. Their role is to notice concerns, listen to children, record information, take appropriate action and work with services that have the legal authority and specialist knowledge to investigate further.

This guide explains how safeguarding works in schools, who is responsible, what happens after a disclosure and what parents can do when they are worried.

The legal framework discussed here applies mainly to schools and colleges in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate safeguarding guidance and child-protection arrangements.

What safeguarding means in schools

Safeguarding means protecting children from maltreatment, preventing harm to their health or development, ensuring that they receive safe and effective care, and taking action so that they have the best possible outcomes.

Child protection is part of safeguarding. It refers more specifically to action taken when a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm.

School safeguarding can involve:

physical, emotional and sexual abuse;
neglect;
domestic abuse;
bullying and cyberbullying;
harmful sexual behaviour between children;
online grooming and exploitation;
criminal exploitation and county lines;
radicalisation;
female genital mutilation;
forced marriage and honour-based abuse;
mental ill health where it creates or indicates a safeguarding risk;
children repeatedly or severely absent from education;
unsafe conduct by an adult working with children.

Not every wellbeing or behaviour problem is automatically a child-protection issue. However, staff should consider whether a change in behaviour, attendance, appearance or emotional state could indicate that something more serious is happening.

The main guidance schools follow

Schools and colleges in England follow the Department for Education’s statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.

This works alongside Working Together to Safeguard Children, which explains how education, children’s social care, health services, the police and other agencies should work together.

Schools should also have their own policies covering matters such as:

child protection and safeguarding;
staff conduct;
behaviour;
bullying;
online safety;
attendance;
allegations and concerns involving adults;
whistleblowing.

Parents should normally be able to find the safeguarding policy and contact details for the safeguarding team on the school’s website.

Who is responsible for safeguarding?

Safeguarding is not the responsibility of one person. Every adult working in the school should know how to recognise and report a concern.

This includes:

teachers;
teaching assistants;
administrative staff;
lunchtime supervisors;
caretakers and site staff;
sports coaches;
volunteers;
senior leaders;
governors or trustees.

Staff should receive safeguarding training when they join and regular updates afterwards. They are not expected to diagnose abuse or carry out their own investigation. They are expected to pass concerns to the correct person promptly.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead

Every school must appoint a Designated Safeguarding Lead, usually known as the DSL. There should also be trained deputies who can act when the DSL is unavailable.

The DSL normally:

receives concerns reported by staff, pupils and parents;
reviews the available information;
decides what immediate action is required;
makes referrals to children’s social care or other agencies;
liaises with social workers and safeguarding partners;
maintains confidential safeguarding records;
supports staff with safeguarding decisions;
helps ensure that staff training remains current;
oversees support for pupils with known safeguarding needs.

The DSL may be the headteacher, deputy headteacher or another senior and appropriately trained member of staff. The SENCO may also be a DSL, but the two roles are not automatically held by the same person.

Governors, trustees and proprietors

The governing body, academy trustees or proprietor is responsible for ensuring that the school has effective safeguarding arrangements.

This includes oversight of:

the child-protection policy;
staff training;
safer recruitment;
online filtering and monitoring;
management of allegations against staff;
the effectiveness of the DSL role;
compliance with statutory guidance.

How schools try to prevent harm

Safeguarding should not begin only after a child makes a disclosure. Schools are expected to create systems that reduce risk and make it easier for pupils and adults to report concerns.

Safer recruitment

Schools carry out checks before appointing staff and eligible volunteers.

Depending on the role, these may include:

identity checks;
references;
employment-history checks;
an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check;
checks against barred lists where legally required;
qualification and professional-status checks;
overseas checks where relevant;
questions about gaps or inconsistencies in employment history.

A DBS certificate is only one part of safer recruitment. It does not prove that an adult can never pose a risk, which is why schools also need suitable supervision, codes of conduct and reporting procedures.

Read What a DBS Check Covers for a fuller explanation.

Teaching pupils how to stay safe

Schools teach safety through relationships education, relationships and sex education, health education, computing, citizenship, assemblies and wider pastoral work.

Topics may include:

healthy and unhealthy relationships;
consent and personal boundaries;
how to seek help;
bullying and discrimination;
online privacy;
sharing images;
grooming and exploitation;
recognising unsafe behaviour;
reporting worries about themselves or someone else.

Children should know which adults they can approach and should not be expected to use formal safeguarding terminology before they are taken seriously.

Online filtering and monitoring

Schools normally use filtering systems to restrict access to harmful content on their networks and monitoring systems to identify potentially concerning activity.

These systems may flag searches or messages connected with:

self-harm or suicide;
sexual content;
extremism;
abuse or exploitation;
weapons or serious violence;
bullying or threatening language.

Technology cannot replace professional judgement. A flagged search requires context, and harmful activity may also take place on personal devices or networks the school cannot monitor.

Parents can find practical advice in How to Check Your Child Is Safe Online Without Spying.

Visitors, trips and site security

Schools should have procedures for:

checking and signing in visitors;
identifying adults authorised to collect younger children;
supervising contractors;
managing photography and recordings;
assessing risks on school trips;
responding when a child goes missing;
managing medication and medical needs;
keeping the premises appropriately secure.

These arrangements should be proportionate. A safe school should still be welcoming and should not make children feel that they are constantly under suspicion.

How schools identify and record concerns

A safeguarding concern may begin with one clear disclosure or with several smaller pieces of information that form a pattern.

Staff may notice:

unexplained injuries;
hunger, poor hygiene or unsuitable clothing;
a sudden change in behaviour;
fear of a particular person or place;
sexualised language or behaviour that is not developmentally expected;
withdrawal or extreme anxiety;
repeated tiredness;
a sudden decline in schoolwork;
frequent or prolonged absence;
bullying or social isolation;
unsafe online activity;
a child repeatedly taking on adult caring responsibilities.

None of these automatically proves that abuse has occurred. Staff should remain professionally curious and report the concern rather than attempting to explain it away.

Safeguarding records

Schools keep safeguarding information separately from ordinary academic records and restrict access to staff who need it.

A record should normally include:

what was seen, heard or reported;
the date and time;
the child’s own words where relevant;
the action taken;
who was informed;
the reasons for important decisions.

Accurate records help the DSL identify patterns that may not be visible to one teacher.

For example, one late arrival may not be significant. Repeated lateness combined with hunger, exhaustion and unexplained absence could require a wider safeguarding response.

Read Understanding School Attendance Rules for more information about attendance and unexplained absence.

What happens when a child makes a disclosure?

A child may disclose a concern directly, hint that something is wrong or communicate through behaviour, writing, play or an online message.

The adult should normally:

listen calmly;
take the child seriously;
avoid showing shock or disbelief;
avoid promising to keep the information secret;
ask only enough questions to clarify what the child is saying;
avoid leading questions;
reassure the child that they were right to speak;
explain that the information must be shared with someone who can help;
record the disclosure accurately;
report it promptly to the DSL or deputy.

The adult should not:

conduct an investigation;
ask the child to repeat the account to several people unnecessarily;
contact the person accused;
promise a particular outcome;
wait for further evidence before reporting the concern.

What the DSL does next

The DSL reviews the information and decides what response is proportionate.

Possible actions include:

recording and monitoring the concern;
arranging support within school;
speaking with the child again in an appropriate way;
contacting the parents;
seeking advice from safeguarding services;
making an early-help referral;
referring the child to local-authority children’s social care;
contacting the police where there is immediate danger or a suspected crime;
taking urgent action to protect the child at school.

A school should not delay a necessary referral simply because it does not hold complete evidence. Children’s social care and the police determine whether a formal assessment or investigation is required.

Will parents always be told?

Schools generally aim to work openly with parents and will usually explain concerns and referrals.

However, they may decide not to contact a parent before seeking advice or making a referral if doing so could:

place the child at greater risk;
place another person at risk;
interfere with a police or social-care investigation;
lead to evidence being destroyed;
cause the child to be pressured or silenced.

This can feel alarming to parents, but the school’s first responsibility is the child’s immediate safety.

When other services become involved

Safeguarding often requires several organisations to work together.

Depending on the concern, a school may contact:

local-authority children’s social care;
early-help services;
the police;
health professionals;
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services;
school nurses;
youth or exploitation services;
the local authority’s designated officer for allegations involving adults;
specialist domestic-abuse or sexual-violence services.

Early help

Early help is intended to provide support before a family’s difficulties become more serious.

It may involve help with:

family relationships;
housing or financial pressures;
school attendance;
parenting support;
mental health;
domestic abuse;
substance misuse;
young caring responsibilities;
access to SEND or health services.

An early-help referral does not mean that a parent has abused or neglected their child. It means that coordinated assistance may be helpful.

Children’s social care

The school may refer to children’s social care when it believes that:

a child may need additional support as a child in need;
a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm;
an urgent assessment is required;
existing risks are escalating.

Social care decides what happens after the referral. This could include advice, an assessment, further support, a multi-agency meeting or a child-protection enquiry.

A referral does not automatically mean that a child will be removed from their family. Removal is a serious legal step and is not the ordinary outcome of a school raising a concern.

Information sharing

Schools do not need parental consent in every situation before sharing information required to protect a child.

They should share information lawfully, securely and only with people who need it. The amount shared should be proportionate to the safeguarding purpose.

Data-protection law should not be used as a reason to withhold information when sharing is necessary to protect a child.

At the same time, safeguarding does not allow unrestricted discussion of private family information. Staff should maintain appropriate confidentiality.

How schools respond to common safeguarding risks

Bullying and cyberbullying

Bullying is not always a child-protection matter, but serious, persistent or discriminatory bullying may become a safeguarding concern.

Possible signs include:

school refusal;
withdrawal from friendships;
unexplained headaches or stomach aches;
damaged or missing belongings;
a sudden loss of confidence;
changes in online behaviour;
self-harm or statements of hopelessness.

Schools should investigate, support the affected pupil, address the behaviour of other pupils and monitor whether the problem continues.

The response may involve:

separate conversations with the pupils involved;
contact with parents;
changes to supervision or seating;
a named adult or safe space;
behaviour sanctions;
pastoral or SEND support;
a safeguarding referral where the risk is serious.

Schools may also need to respond to online conduct outside school where it affects pupils’ safety, welfare or education.

Read Dealing With Bullying: Advice for Parents and Pupils for a step-by-step guide.

Child-on-child abuse

Children can harm other children. Schools should not dismiss abusive behaviour as banter, experimentation or an ordinary part of growing up.

Child-on-child abuse may include:

serious bullying;
physical assault;
sexual harassment;
sexual violence;
sharing sexual images without consent;
coercive or controlling behaviour;
initiation or hazing;
prejudice-based abuse;
abuse within teenage relationships.

The school should consider the safety and support needs of every child involved. A pupil who has displayed harmful behaviour may also have unmet needs or safeguarding vulnerabilities, but this should not minimise the harm experienced by another pupil.

Schools should avoid forcing face-to-face mediation where it would be unsafe or inappropriate.

Online sexual content and image sharing

If a pupil shares or receives a nude or sexual image, the school should follow safeguarding procedures rather than asking staff to copy, print or circulate the image.

The response should consider:

the age of the pupils;
whether coercion or threats were involved;
whether an adult is involved;
whether the image has been distributed widely;
whether the child is at immediate risk;
whether police or social-care advice is required.

A child should not be treated automatically as an offender without considering exploitation, pressure and vulnerability.

Mental health and self-harm

Mental health difficulties are not automatically safeguarding concerns. They may become safeguarding matters when a child is at risk of significant harm, self-harm, suicide, exploitation, abuse or serious neglect.

Schools may respond through:

pastoral support;
a safety or support plan;
contact with parents;
school nursing or counselling;
GP or CAMHS involvement;
urgent emergency services where the risk is immediate.

Schools should not assume that every distressed child can simply be referred to CAMHS. Support may need to involve several services and adjustments within school.

Repeated or prolonged absence

Children who are repeatedly or severely absent may be at increased risk of:

neglect;
exploitation;
domestic abuse;
mental ill health;
unmet SEND;
bullying;
missing education entirely.

Schools should investigate the barriers rather than treating every attendance problem as deliberate parental non-compliance.

Relevant guides include:

SEND and communication needs

Children with SEND can face additional safeguarding vulnerabilities.

They may:

have difficulty describing what happened;
depend on adults for personal care;
be more socially isolated;
be vulnerable to manipulation;
show distress through behaviour;
have injuries or communication patterns wrongly attributed to their disability;
find it difficult to recognise unsafe relationships.

Schools should make communication accessible and should not assume that a child cannot provide useful information because they use limited speech or an alternative communication system.

For more information, read:

Concerns and allegations involving school staff

Schools must have procedures for responding when an adult working with children may have behaved unsafely or inappropriately.

The correct process depends on the nature and seriousness of the concern.

Allegations that may meet the harm threshold

A formal allegation may arise where an adult may have:

harmed a child;
possibly committed a criminal offence involving a child;
behaved towards a child in a way that indicates they may pose a risk;
behaved in a way that raises concerns about their suitability to work with children.

The allegation should be reported through the school’s designated procedure, usually to the headteacher.

If the allegation concerns the headteacher, it should normally be reported to the chair of governors, academy trust or proprietor according to the school’s policy.

The school may need to consult the local authority’s designated officer and, where appropriate, the police, children’s social care, the Disclosure and Barring Service or the Teaching Regulation Agency.

The school should protect the child while also ensuring that the adult is treated fairly and that confidentiality is maintained.

Low-level concerns

A low-level concern is behaviour that is inconsistent with the staff code of conduct but may not meet the threshold for a formal allegation.

Examples might include:

being unnecessarily overfamiliar with a pupil;
using inappropriate language;
communicating through an unauthorised personal account;
showing favouritism;
photographing pupils without a proper reason or permission;
creating avoidable situations in which professional boundaries are unclear.

“Low level” describes the threshold, not the importance of reporting it. Recording these concerns can reveal a pattern that would otherwise remain hidden.

Whistleblowing

Staff should have a way to report concerns about unsafe practice, poor leadership responses or attempts to conceal safeguarding information.

A parent who has concerns about an adult’s conduct should not investigate personally. Report the facts promptly through the school’s safeguarding or complaints procedure.

How parents can raise a safeguarding concern

You do not need proof before telling the school that you are worried. Provide the information you have and explain why it concerns you.

You might contact:

the class teacher or form tutor;
the pastoral lead;
the SENCO;
the DSL or deputy DSL;
the headteacher.

For an urgent safeguarding concern, contact the DSL directly rather than waiting for the next parents’ evening.

What information to provide

Explain:

what happened or what your child reported;
when and where it happened;
who was involved;
whether it has happened before;
whether there is an immediate risk;
which evidence exists, such as messages or screenshots;
what your child needs to feel safe now.

Preserve relevant online evidence, but do not forward sexual images of children or circulate sensitive content unnecessarily.

What to ask the school

The school may not be able to share confidential information about another child or staff member. However, you can ask:

Has the concern been passed to the DSL?
What immediate safety measures are in place?
Who is supporting my child?
How can my child report another incident?
When will the arrangements be reviewed?
Who should I contact if the risk continues?

The school may be unable to tell you the sanction imposed on another pupil, but it should explain how it intends to protect and support your child.

If the school does not respond adequately

If the concern is not being addressed:

write to the DSL or headteacher;
state the facts and the outcome you are requesting;
ask for a written response;
use the school’s formal complaints procedure where appropriate;
contact the academy trust, governing body or proprietor at the relevant stage;
seek advice from the local authority or another appropriate safeguarding body.

A complaint procedure should not delay an urgent referral where a child may be at immediate risk.

Read School Complaints: When to Raise a Concern and When to Make a Formal Complaint for help deciding how to escalate an issue.

When to contact services directly

You can contact local-authority children’s social care yourself if you believe a child may be at risk.

Contact the police or emergency services immediately where:

a child is in immediate danger;
serious violence is occurring or threatened;
a child is missing and at urgent risk;
urgent medical assistance is required;
a serious crime may be taking place.

Parents can also seek advice from the NSPCC Helpline.

Working constructively with the school

Safeguarding works best when families and schools communicate honestly, while recognising that the school may sometimes be unable to share every detail.

Parents can help by:

keeping contact details up to date;
reporting important changes at home;
telling the school about court orders or collection restrictions;
reporting unexplained injuries or worrying behaviour;
sharing relevant medical and SEND information;
preserving evidence of online incidents;
attending safeguarding or support meetings;
following agreed safety plans;
raising concerns early rather than waiting for them to escalate.

Schools should communicate respectfully and avoid treating parents as suspects simply because support is needed.

Parents should also understand that a safeguarding referral is not necessarily an accusation. Staff may be legally and professionally required to share a concern even when the circumstances are uncertain.

What parents may not be told

The school may be unable to disclose:

another child’s personal circumstances;
another pupil’s SEND or medical information;
confidential staff-employment details;
the full content of a social-care or police investigation;
information that could increase risk to a child.

This does not mean that nothing has been done. Ask instead what measures relate directly to your child’s safety and support.

Helping your child speak about worries

Avoid repeatedly questioning your child in a way that feels like an investigation.

You can say:

“You can tell me if something makes you uncomfortable.”
“You will not be in trouble for asking for help.”
“You do not have to explain everything at once.”
“Which adult at school would you feel safest talking to?”

Take disclosures seriously, but do not promise a particular punishment or outcome before the school or another agency has assessed what happened.

Frequently asked questions

Does every safeguarding concern lead to social services?

No. Some concerns are recorded and monitored, while others lead to school-based or early-help support. A referral to children’s social care is made where the information meets the relevant threshold or professional advice indicates that it is necessary.

Will the school tell me before making a referral?

Usually the school will try to work openly with parents. It may refer without informing a parent first if doing so could increase risk, interfere with an investigation or place a child or another person in danger.

Can a teacher question my child without me present?

School staff can speak with pupils about their welfare without a parent being present. They should not conduct an inappropriate investigation or use leading questions.

Can I see my child’s safeguarding file?

Parents may have rights to request personal information, but safeguarding records can contain third-party or risk-sensitive material that cannot be disclosed in full. Requests are considered under data-protection and safeguarding rules.

Does the school need my consent to share information?

Not always. Information may be shared without consent where this is necessary and lawful to safeguard a child.

Is bullying always a safeguarding issue?

No. Schools should address all bullying, but it becomes a safeguarding concern when it causes or indicates significant harm, exploitation, sexual abuse, serious violence or another substantial risk.

Can the school act over cyberbullying outside school?

Yes, where online behaviour affects pupils’ welfare, safety or education. The school’s powers and response depend on the circumstances, and serious incidents may also require police or social-care involvement.

What is a DSL?

The Designated Safeguarding Lead is the trained senior person who coordinates the school’s safeguarding response, supports staff and liaises with external agencies.

What is a low-level concern about a member of staff?

It is conduct that does not necessarily meet the formal allegation threshold but may be inconsistent with professional boundaries or the staff code of conduct. It should still be reported and recorded appropriately.

Can I report a concern directly to social care?

Yes. Parents and members of the public can contact their local authority’s children’s social-care service directly.

What should I do if my child is in immediate danger?

Contact the police or emergency services immediately. Do not wait for the school’s complaints procedure.

Where can I find the school’s safeguarding arrangements?

Look on the school website for its child-protection or safeguarding policy, the name of the DSL and the procedure for raising concerns. If this information is unclear, ask the school office to provide it.