It is an Ofsted requirement for schools to obtain Enhanced CRB checks on their members of staff and Teachers, due to the contact Teachers and staff will have with children on site.
For private schools, the decision to obtain CRB checks on staff and teachers is at the discretion of the school (although it is expected that steps should be taken to ensure staff and teachers are suitable to be working with children).
Under the CRB’s eligibility criteria, staff and teachers employed by a school are eligible for the Basic CRB Check, Standard CRB Check or Enhanced CRB check, although it is usually the Enhanced CRB check required. Whether the member of staff or a teacher is a paid employee or a volunteer in a school, an updated Standard or Enhanced CRB disclosure has been made a necessity by Ofsted and privately owned Schools.
For Contractors working within a school, the level of CRB check required depends on the nature of the work they will do and the frequency in which the work will be undertaken.
Enhanced CRB Disclosure
As mentioned above, the Enhanced CRB Disclosure is required by Ofsted for all staff and teachers working within a school. Teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and maintenance staff (e.g. caretakers) all require the Enhanced CRB Disclosure due the potential for contact with children. The Enhanced CRB check is the highest level of CRB check available and is designed specifically for people working with children. It searches for all convictions (spent or unspent) as well as cautions, warnings & reprimands on an applicant’s record. It also searches the ISA Barred List to establish whether the applicant is barred from working with children, and approaches the applicant’s local police force for any relevant, non convictional information held on their computers.
Apply for an Enhanced CRB Check for Schools and Teachers or call 01254 355688 to discuss and apply.
Standard CRB Disclosure
Although the Enhanced CRB Check is the preferred level of check for schools, some may be happy to accept a Standard CRB Disclosure depending on the nature of the applicants work. This check is not as detailed as the Enhanced CRB check, but still contains detailed information about an applicant’s criminal record, including any cautions, warnings, reprimands and convictions that may be on record.
Apply for a Standard CRB Check for Schools and Teachers or call 01254 355688 to discuss and apply.
Basic Disclosure Criminal Record Checks
The Basic disclosure check is very rarely requested by schools on their employees and teachers, and is mainly obtained by contractors / external companies carrying out work on a school site. It searches for unspent criminal convictions, and takes roughly 2 weeks to process. This check can also be requested by an individual, and is often obtained by people applying for jobs / work experience placements in schools.
Apply for a Basic Disclosure for Schools and Teachers or call 01254 355688 to discuss and apply.
The Department for Education strongly recommends a full disclosure to be carried out prior to employing a teacher but recognises that the need to fill vacancies may require an appointment at short notice. Therefore the Department for Education allows a person to begin work pending the outcome of an Enhanced CRB Check but only once it has been found that the individual is not on ISA Children’s Barred List, which is a list of people who are considered unsuitable or banned from working with children- this is called a List 99 Check.
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