What level of safeguarding training do I need to work in a school?
Everyone who works in a school needs safeguarding and child protection training, whatever their role. That includes teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, site and catering teams, supply staff and volunteers. Schools do not use official safeguarding “levels”. Instead, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) sets out what training each group needs and how often.
In short: all staff need training at induction, regular updates at least once a year, and must read Part One of KCSiE in full. Designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) and their deputies need further training at least every two years. Governors and trustees need training at induction. Below, we explain what each role needs under KCSiE 2026, which came into force on 1 September 2026.
Training your whole school? Our Keeping Children Safe in Education course helps every member of staff read and understand Part One, and our Safeguarding in Education course covers child protection, online safety and the Prevent duty in one.
Do schools use safeguarding levels?
No. Numbered safeguarding levels are a healthcare framework, and schools stopped using them years ago. KCSiE, the statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England, talks about training for “all staff” and further training for the DSL instead. If you have been asked for “level 1” or “level 2” safeguarding training for a school role, it usually means foundation safeguarding training that meets KCSiE. If you have been asked for “level 3”, it usually means DSL training.
To understand how the healthcare levels work, see our guide to safeguarding training levels 1 to 5 and our guide to level 3 (DSL) safeguarding training.
Safeguarding training by school role
This table summarises what KCSiE expects for each group. Your school’s safeguarding policy and local safeguarding partnership may ask for more.
| Role | What training they need | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers and teaching assistants | Safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction, plus reading Part One of KCSiE in full | Updates at least annually |
| Support staff (office, site, catering, cleaning, IT) | The same as teaching staff. Since 2026, everyone must read Part One in full | Updates at least annually |
| Supply staff, trainees, contractors and volunteers | A safeguarding induction covering the school’s policies, the DSL’s details and how to report concerns. Longer-term staff and volunteers need the same training as permanent staff | At the start of every placement |
| Designated safeguarding lead and deputies | Formal DSL training, including Prevent awareness | At least every two years, with knowledge refreshed at least annually |
| Headteacher and senior leaders | Whole-staff training, plus safer recruitment training. A senior leader is also responsible for the annual filtering and monitoring review | Updates at least annually |
| Governors and trustees | Safeguarding and child protection training (including online safety) at induction, focused on strategic challenge and assurance | Updated regularly |
| Staff who recruit | Safer recruitment training | No set interval. Refresh when guidance changes |
| Nursery and reception staff | Whole-staff training, plus the EYFS requirements (see below) | Updates at least annually |
What safeguarding training do teachers need?
Teachers need the same core safeguarding training as all school staff, but they are often the adult a child confides in, so their training needs to prepare them to spot concerns and act on them straight away. Under KCSiE, teachers should:
- complete safeguarding and child protection training at induction, including online safety and their role in filtering and monitoring
- read Part One of KCSiE in full, and the school’s child protection policy, behaviour policy and staff code of conduct
- know who the DSL and deputies are and how to reach them, including the school’s cover arrangements when the DSL is away
- receive safeguarding updates at least once a year, for example through staff meetings, e-bulletins or refresher training
- know how to respond to a disclosure, record a concern and escalate it if they are not satisfied with the response
Teachers also have a personal legal duty to report known cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in under-18s to the police. Once the Crime and Policing Act 2026 mandatory reporting duty comes into force, school staff will also have a legal duty to report child sexual abuse they are told about or witness. In most schools, you meet this by reporting through your DSL.
What should school safeguarding training cover in 2026?
KCSiE 2026 added or expanded several areas that staff training should now include:
- early help and Family Help, including the criteria for referring a child and which children may need extra support (such as children repeatedly removed from the classroom)
- mental health as a safeguarding issue, including self-harm and suicidal ideation
- misogyny and its link to harmful sexual behaviour, and the continuum from normal behaviour to abuse
- making or sharing nudes, including AI-generated or digitally altered images and deepfakes
- racism, faith-based prejudice and other discrimination as safeguarding issues
- serious violence, child criminal and sexual exploitation, and modern slavery
- the updated definition of sexual abuse
Read our full summary of the KCSiE 2026 changes for more detail.
Do support staff need safeguarding training?
Yes. KCSiE 2026 removed Annex A, the shortened version of Part One that some non-teaching staff used to read instead. Every member of staff, including office, site, catering, cleaning and IT staff, must now read Part One in full. The DfE has also published a short “Part One: Overview for all staff” as a quick reference, but it does not replace reading Part One itself.
Support staff often see children in less structured settings, such as at lunch, in corridors or at the school gate, so their training matters just as much. They need the same induction training and annual updates as teaching staff.
Supply staff, trainees, contractors and volunteers
Anyone working in school, even for a day, should receive a safeguarding induction. This should cover the school’s safeguarding policy, who the DSL is, and how to report a concern. Volunteers and longer-term supply staff who work regularly with children should complete the same training as permanent staff.
KCSiE 2026 also reflects a major change to safer recruitment. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 removed the “supervision exemption”, so volunteers who regularly teach, train, instruct or supervise children are now in regulated activity and need an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check, even if they are supervised.
What training does a designated safeguarding lead need?
The DSL and any deputies need formal training that goes beyond whole-staff training. KCSiE expects this training to be updated at least every two years, with their knowledge refreshed at least annually in between, for example through bulletins, DSL networks or reading new guidance. The DSL should be a member of the senior leadership team, and DSLs should also complete Prevent awareness training.
KCSiE 2026 also asks schools to have robust cover arrangements for when the DSL is absent, so deputies need to be trained to step in. Some local authorities require DSLs to attend their own training, so check with your local safeguarding partnership before booking.
For a detailed look at what DSL training covers, read our guide to level 3 safeguarding and DSL training. Our DSL options include the online Designated Safeguarding Lead Training, live trainer-led DSL training and a live DSL refresher.
Headteachers and senior leaders
Headteachers and senior leaders need the same whole-staff training, plus the knowledge to lead the school’s safeguarding culture. Two areas are especially relevant in 2026:
- Filtering and monitoring. A senior leader should be responsible for reviewing the school’s filtering and monitoring systems with the DSL and IT staff. Under KCSiE 2026, the review must happen at least once every academic year and be recorded.
- Safer recruitment. KCSiE expects at least one member of every recruitment panel to have completed safer recruitment training. Our Safer Recruitment in Education course covers the updated checks, including the new volunteer requirements.
Do school governors need safeguarding training?
Yes. KCSiE says all governors and trustees should receive safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, at induction, and that this training should be updated regularly. Governor training is different from staff training. It should give governors the knowledge to challenge and test whether the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures are working, rather than to handle individual concerns.
Governing boards should also make sure the headteacher, the DSL and the whole school are meeting their safeguarding training requirements, and that records show it.
Safeguarding training in school nurseries and reception classes
KCSiE 2026 makes clear that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework also applies to school-based nurseries and reception classes. The EYFS requires a lead practitioner for safeguarding who has completed child protection training, and requires all staff to be trained to understand the setting’s safeguarding policy and procedures.
From September 2026, the EYFS also says nobody can start working or volunteering in an EYFS setting until the provider has received their enhanced DBS certificate with barred list information. Our Safeguarding in Early Years course is designed for early years staff.
How often should safeguarding training be updated in schools?
| Who | Formal training | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| All staff | At induction | At least annually |
| DSL and deputies | At least every two years | Knowledge refreshed at least annually |
| Governors and trustees | At induction | Regularly (many boards update annually) |
| Recruitment panel members | Before sitting on a panel | No set interval, but refresh when guidance changes |
Many schools run a whole-staff safeguarding session at the start of each academic year, with short updates through the year when guidance changes or new risks emerge. Our online certificates are valid for two years, and our learning management system sends automatic reminders when training is due.
Can school safeguarding training be done online?
Yes. KCSiE does not require training to be face-to-face, and many schools use online courses for induction and annual updates because they are easy to track and provide evidence for Ofsted. Some schools prefer a live session for the whole staff team at the start of the year. We offer both: online courses such as Safeguarding in Education and the Safeguarding Refresher in Education, and face-to-face safeguarding training delivered at your school.
You may also find these useful: Online Safety Training, Prevent Duty Training, and Safeguarding in Music Education for peripatetic music staff. See our training for primary schools and secondary schools for bundles and whole-school options.
Do teachers need a safeguarding qualification?
No. There is no requirement for school staff to hold an accredited safeguarding qualification. What matters is that your training meets KCSiE, is up to date and can be evidenced, usually with a certificate. Accredited qualifications, such as an RQF “Level 3 Award”, can support your professional development but are not needed for most school roles.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
KCSiE applies to schools and colleges in England. The other UK nations have their own guidance and job titles. Schools in Wales follow Keeping Learners Safe and the National Safeguarding Training, Learning and Development Standards. Schools in Northern Ireland have a designated teacher for child protection, and schools in Scotland have a child protection coordinator. The principle is the same everywhere: all staff need safeguarding training, and the person who leads on it needs more. Our online courses include versions for each nation.
Sources and further reading
- Keeping children safe in education, Department for Education
- Working together to safeguard children, Department for Education
- Crime and Policing Act 2026: mandatory reporting factsheet, Home Office
If you would like an independent check that your school’s safeguarding is up to date, our safeguarding consultancy and safeguarding supervision services can help. You can also browse all of our courses or get in touch to talk through what your school needs.
School safeguarding training FAQs
Schools do not use official safeguarding levels. Under Keeping Children Safe in Education, all staff need safeguarding and child protection training at induction, updates at least annually and must read Part One in full. Designated safeguarding leads and deputies need further training at least every two years.
Teachers need safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, at induction, and updates at least once a year. They must read Part One of KCSiE in full, know who the designated safeguarding lead is, and know how to respond to and report a concern.
Yes. All school staff need safeguarding training, including office, site, catering, cleaning and IT staff. Since KCSiE 2026 removed Annex A, every member of staff must read Part One of KCSiE in full.
All school staff should receive safeguarding updates at least annually. Designated safeguarding leads and deputies need formal training at least every two years, with their knowledge refreshed at least annually. Governors should have training at induction that is updated regularly.
Yes. KCSiE 2026 removed the condensed Annex A, so all staff, including those who do not work directly with children, are expected to read Part One in full. The DfE overview document is a quick reference and does not replace Part One.
A designated safeguarding lead and any deputies need formal DSL training, updated at least every two years, with their knowledge refreshed at least annually. They should also complete Prevent awareness training. Some local authorities require DSLs to attend their own training.
Yes. KCSiE says all governors and trustees should receive safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, at induction, and that it should be updated regularly. It should help them challenge and test whether the school’s safeguarding arrangements are working.
Yes. All volunteers should have a safeguarding induction, and volunteers who work regularly with children should complete the same training as staff. Since the Crime and Policing Act 2026, volunteers who regularly teach, train, instruct or supervise children also need an enhanced DBS check with a barred list check.
KCSiE is statutory guidance that schools and colleges in England must have regard to, and it requires safeguarding training for all staff. In practice this makes safeguarding training a requirement for every teacher, and Ofsted checks that training is in place and up to date.
No. Teachers do not need an accredited safeguarding qualification. They need up-to-date safeguarding training that meets KCSiE, usually evidenced with a certificate.
Yes. KCSiE does not require training to be face to face, and many schools use online courses for induction and annual updates because they are easy to track and evidence. Some schools combine online courses with a live whole-staff session.
Last updated: September 2026. This guide summarises Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 and related guidance for schools in England. Always refer to the full guidance on GOV.UK and your local safeguarding partnership for the definitive requirements.