Being at a school for only a day does not make safeguarding someone else’s responsibility. You need to know the local reporting route before a concern arises.
IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Act promptly, follow the school’s child-protection procedure and report to the designated safeguarding lead or equivalent. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. Do not investigate a concern yourself.
Get the local information first
At induction, ask who the safeguarding lead and deputy are, how to contact them and how to record a concern. Find out the alternative route if they are unavailable. Check the procedures for staff conduct, mobile phones, photographs, missing pupils and online systems.
In England, use the current Keeping children safe in education guidance, including Part One. The overview is a reminder, not a substitute for reading the required guidance. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own frameworks: the school must identify the guidance and procedures that apply there.
If a pupil tells you something worrying
Listen calmly. Do not promise secrecy, ask leading questions or try to establish a complete account. Explain that you may need to share information with people who can help. Follow the reporting procedure immediately and make a factual record using the approved system, distinguishing the pupil’s words from your observations.
Do not wait for the end of the booking, a timesheet conversation or your next visit. A concern that seems small may be important alongside information held by the school.
If the usual contact is unavailable
Use the school’s escalation procedure, including the deputy or senior leader and referral routes to children’s services where needed. Do not allow an absent contact to become a reason for doing nothing. Emergency danger requires an immediate emergency response.
Concerns about an adult
Schools have a separate route for concerns or allegations about staff, including supply staff. Ask where that procedure is and follow it, including the alternative contact when the concern involves the usual person receiving reports. Do not attempt to settle an allegation informally with the person concerned.
Handle information carefully
Record information through approved school systems and share it with the appropriate safeguarding professionals. Do not keep pupil names, disclosures, screenshots or photographs on your personal phone or in a private work diary. Data protection is not a reason to withhold necessary safeguarding information from the proper route.
Your own booking record can contain dates, hours and the school without copying pupil information. What to take on your first day explains how to keep personal preparation separate from school records.
What this means for you
Before taking a class, be able to answer: who do I contact, how do I report, and what do I do if that person is unavailable? If access to the reporting system is missing, request an approved alternative immediately. Use the first-day guide to build this into your arrival routine.
Frequently asked questions
Should I report even if I am not sure?
Raise the concern through the safeguarding procedure rather than deciding it is too minor yourself. Describe what you know accurately and avoid speculation.
Is this guide enough training?
No. It supports preparation but does not replace current statutory guidance, required training, local procedures or professional advice. The DfE sources below apply to England.
Related guides
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: 20 September 2026. Official guidance and individual arrangements can change.