Safer recruitment statement
A statement on job adverts and the vacancies page setting out the school's commitment to safeguarding children, making clear that checks will be carried out and that shortlisted candidates may be subject to online searches. Schools should include it.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When is it due?
- Renewal
- No fixed date
The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What's needed
Publish a safer recruitment statement on the vacancies page, including that online searches may be carried out on shortlisted candidates (guidance says schools should).
What it must contain
2 parts- States the school's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of childrenShould
- Tells shortlisted candidates that online searches may be done as part of due diligence checksShould
What the official sources say
Set out in 1 official source:
Keeping children safe in education 2026
The advert should include: • the school or college’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and make clear that safeguarding checks will be undertaken,
Should§ para 291, under heading 'Advert', page 74
Schools and colleges should inform shortlisted candidates that online searches may be done as part of due diligence checks.
Should§ para 301 (Shortlisting), page 76
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the safer recruitment statement?
The official sources we check set no requirement for academies. The official sources we check set no requirement for maintained schools.
When does the safer recruitment statement need to be published?
Renewal: No fixed date. The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What must the safer recruitment statement include?
States the school's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; Tells shortlisted candidates that online searches may be done as part of due diligence checks.
Where does the requirement for the safer recruitment statement come from?
It is set out in Keeping children safe in education 2026.
Changes to the official sources
The sources for this item do not publish dated change notes. Their current versions are listed above.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
Is this on your school's website?
We check your site the way an inspector or a parent would find it: page by page, against the official wording of each requirement. If it's there, you get the page and the words we found. If it isn't, you get every place we looked.
Check this one requirement free, or scan your whole site against every requirement.
Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4