Safer recruitment for supply staff: a school leader's checklist this term

Halfway through the autumn term is a natural point to check that safer recruitment for supply staff is holding up in practice, not just on paper. With KCSIE 2026 now in force and more staff moving in and out of your building during the busiest cover months of the year, a short mid-term audit can catch gaps before they become a bigger problem.

What safer recruitment for supply staff actually requires

Every adult working in your school, including supply staff booked for a single day, needs the same core checks: an enhanced DBS check, identity verification, and confirmation of their right to work in the UK. Where a placement is arranged through a partner rather than employed directly, your school is still responsible for confirming those checks have been done before the person starts, not simply assuming they have.

Keeping your single central record accurate

Your single central record should reflect every supply staff member who has worked on site, updated as bookings happen rather than in a termly catch-up. A quick audit worth doing now: pull a list of every supply booking made since September, and check each one has a corresponding, complete entry.

Where gaps tend to appear

The most common gaps aren't missing DBS checks. They're incomplete records for very short bookings, cover arranged at short notice, or staff who moved between multiple schools in the same week. Building a simple pre-start checklist that a member of your office team runs through for every booking, however short, closes most of these gaps before they start.

Building this into your half-term planning

With October half term approaching, this is also a natural moment to review your process with your office and HR team before the next wave of cover bookings for November. A five-minute conversation now about who checks what, and when, is far easier than untangling a gap after the fact.