Schools and multi-academy trusts are required to maintain a single central record (SCR) of pre-appointment checks, which should be monitored and checked regularly. Due to the importance of the SCR, it is advisable for more than one person to have access to the system and be able to update the information.
Who is responsible for the SCR?
Ultimately, the Headteacher is responsible for the SCR. However, they may delegate the day-to-day responsibility to another member of staff. Also, the Chair of Governors should have a clear understanding of the requirements to ensure that these are being met.
Whose information needs to be recorded on the SCR?
The SCR must incorporate the following people:
- All employees (including teacher trainees on salaried routes), agency and third-party supply staff
- Contractors
- For independent schools, all members of the proprietor body. For academies and free schools, this includes the members and trustees of the academy trust.
What information is required?
The SCR is essentially a checklist function. It keeps track of each employee, detailing whether checks have been carried out, or certificates obtained, and the respective completion dates for these.
The information below must be recorded as per statutory guidance:
- An identity check (including name and date of birth)
- A barred list check (in cases where a DBS hasn’t been returned before the appointment commences)
- An enhanced DBS check
- A prohibition from teaching check for:
- Maintained schools
- Pupil referral units
- Independent schools
- Academies
- Free schools
- Non-maintained special schools
- Sixth form colleges.
- Overseas checks (e.g. obtaining certificates of good conduct for people having lived/worked outside of the UK).
Note: KCSIE has been updated on 18 January 2021 to reflect the new guidance now that we have left the EU. This means that EEA sanctions and restrictions are no longer recorded via the TRA website and that teachers are now required to obtain a letter of professional standing from the professional regulating authority in the country in which the applicant has worked. Advice about which regulatory or professional body applicants should contact is available from the National Recognition Information Centre (now called ecctis) for the UK or email cpq@naric.org.uk (Remember, EEA sanctions and restrictions should still remain on the SCR as it was a statutory requirement up to 31 December 2020). - Professional qualifications check (refer to the person specification)
- A right to work in the UK check
- A Section 128 prohibits or restricts a person taking part in the management of an independent school (including academies and free schools)
- (Note: a Section 128 check disqualifies a person from holding or continuing to hold, office as a governor of a maintained school)
- Colleges must record whether the person’s position involves ‘relevant activity’ (e.g. supervising or being solely in charge of anyone under 18)
- For agency and third party supply staff, written confirmation must be received confirming that the relevant checks have been carried out (including barred status) and the appropriate certificates obtained.
There is no statutory duty for the SCR to include details of any other checks. However, schools, multi-academy trusts and colleges can include any other relevant information.
In this case, it is best practice to include checks for: childcare disqualifications; checks on volunteers; checks made on governors where required; safeguarding and safer recruitment training dates; satisfactory references; pre-employment medicals; KCSIE (part 1) completion; and code of conduct; along with the initials of the person and the date that the checks were carried out.
How does an SCR apply to multi-academy trusts?
There is a duty in legislation for the Trust to maintain the SCR covering all of the Schools within the Multi-Academy Trust – this means that the Trust ‘holds’ a centrally maintained record of the checks that have been carried out across all of the Schools within the MAT. The Trust can maintain that information either as one single ‘document’ or as a separate ‘document’ for each school within the MAT – it’s the Trust’s preference.
In practice, it’s likely that each school would hold a copy of the centrally held SCR that relates to its own employees. Where the School is responsible for carrying out any of the required SCR checks (such as an identity check), the School should inform the Trust so that the centrally maintained record can be updated. In cases where central trust staff visit its academy school, they can be recorded as visitors - ensuring that their identity is checked against photographic identity on arrival, as with any visitor.
However the centrally held SCR is maintained, it should allow for a particular school’s information to be extracted. This way it can be provided to any inspector or other eligible person requesting to see the information, whilst avoiding the unnecessary details of employees who do not work at that particular school.
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