KCSIE references for schools, without the chasing
Your safeguarding questions, asked directly of every referee, chased by email and text, and back on file before interview where possible.
What does KCSIE say about references?
Keeping Children Safe in Education (Part 3) asks schools to obtain references directly from referees, before interview where possible, with specific questions about suitability to work with children and any safeguarding concerns. Open references and testimonials should not be accepted. RefAssure sends your questions, chases referees automatically and files a signed reference. The median turnaround is about 23 hours.
What Part 3 expects, step by step.
Safer recruitment references follow four habits set out by the DfE. RefAssure helps you build each one into how you hire.
Ask before interview
Obtain references before interview where possible. RefAssure helps by sending requests the moment you shortlist.
Ask specific questions
Suitability to work with children and any safeguarding concerns. Your template asks them on every request.
No open references
Testimonials and "to whom it may concern" letters do not count. Requests go straight to the referee.
Verify with the referee
Check every question is answered and take up discrepancies. Each referee signs, and every step is timestamped.
Whose reference should you ask for?
KCSIE says references should come from the candidate's current employer. If they are not currently employed, verify their most recent period of employment and why it ended. For a teacher reference that usually means the headteacher, not a colleague the candidate chooses.
Where to read the guidance
The full text is in the DfE's statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, on GOV.UK. It is updated regularly, so check the current edition when you review your safer recruitment policy.
Safer recruitment references: what to ask.
Generic performance questions miss what matters in a school. Add these to your template, then they go out on every safeguarding reference.
Is the candidate suitable to work with children?
Ask it plainly, as a yes or no with space for detail. This is the question KCSIE names.
Any disciplinary action or safeguarding concerns?
Including any that relate to children. Referees should not include allegations found to be false, unfounded, unsubstantiated or malicious.
Dates, role and reason for leaving
A date range and a short answer. It checks the application and helps you explain any gaps.
How effective were they in the role?
1 to 10 ratings for teaching or support work, behaviour management and reliability.
Relationships with pupils and staff
A paragraph answer tells you how they set boundaries and worked with colleagues and parents.
Would you re-employ them to work with children?
A yes or no that referees find hard to dodge.
There are no built-in KCSIE templates. Add your questions once, or upload the form you already use and RefAssure turns it into a template in about 20 seconds.
Back before interview, not after.
Each referee gets a secure link by email, plus a text if you add a mobile number. If they do not reply, RefAssure reminds them for you.
From 229 completed references on the RefAssure platform, October 2026. Chasing stops the moment a referee submits.
Evidence for Ofsted and your SCR checks.
Every completed reference becomes a signed PDF with a full audit trail, ready to file alongside your single central record checks.
- Candidate consent collected online, with a signature, before any referee is contacted
- Timestamps for consent, request, every reminder and completion
- Replies sent by email instead of the form are captured and forwarded
- Unlimited team members across a school or trust, with shared credits
KCSIE reference questions, answered.
More in the full FAQs.
What does KCSIE say about references?
Part 3 of Keeping Children Safe in Education asks schools and colleges to obtain references directly from referees, ideally before interview, and to ask specific questions about the candidate's suitability to work with children and any safeguarding concerns. Open references and testimonials should not be accepted, and any discrepancies should be taken up with the referee.
Do schools need references before interview?
KCSIE says references should be obtained before interview where possible, so that any concerns can be explored with the candidate at interview. RefAssure helps by sending requests the moment you shortlist and chasing referees automatically. The median time to a completed reference is about 23 hours.
Can a school accept an open reference or testimonial?
No. KCSIE says open references and testimonials should not be accepted. A "to whom it may concern" letter supplied by the candidate does not answer your specific safeguarding questions and cannot be verified with the referee.
How many references does a teacher need?
KCSIE does not set a number. Most schools ask for at least two, one of them from the current employer, usually the headteacher or an equivalent senior leader. If the candidate is not currently employed, verify their most recent employment and why it ended.
Who should give a teacher reference?
Ideally the current employer, and someone senior enough to answer safeguarding questions accurately, such as the headteacher. A colleague or friend is not a substitute. Every RefAssure reference is signed by the referee and timestamped, so you can see exactly who answered.
Do references replace a DBS check?
No. A DBS certificate shows criminal record and barring information. A reference tells you how the person actually behaved at work, including concerns that never reached the police. KCSIE expects both. Read more on DBS checks vs references in education.
Does RefAssure have a KCSIE reference template?
There is no built-in KCSIE template. You add the safeguarding questions your school expects to your template once, or upload the form you already use and RefAssure turns it into a template in about 20 seconds.
Related guides
Safeguarding references, on file sooner.
Your first reference is free. Add your questions once and RefAssure asks them every time.