Reference checking for teaching assistants — KCSIE applies here too
Teaching assistants in regulated activity with children require the same KCSIE reference checks as teachers. RefAssure delivers written references with candidate consent, safeguarding questions and a full audit trail for your Single Central Record. From 99p per reference, no subscription.
KCSIE applies to teaching assistants — not just teachers
A common misconception in schools is that rigorous pre-employment checks — including compliant written references — only apply to qualified teachers. Under KCSIE, any member of staff in regulated activity with children requires the same level of checking. For a teaching assistant who works directly with children, sometimes unsupervised, this means at least two written references obtained directly from referees, with an explicit safeguarding suitability question — the same requirement as for teachers. Treating TA recruitment as lower risk than teacher recruitment is a safeguarding gap that Ofsted looks for.
Support staff roles that need KCSIE-compliant references
Teaching Assistants (TAs)
Level 1 to Level 4 TAs working directly with pupils in classroom and intervention settings.
SEN Support Staff
Learning support assistants and EHCP key workers supporting children with additional needs — often with intensive 1:1 contact.
Lunchtime Supervisors
Supervisory staff with responsibility for children outside classroom hours — a regulated activity role that many schools overlook.
Cover Supervisors
Cover supervisors managing classes in the absence of a teacher — a role with significant child contact requiring full KCSIE checks.
Sports Coaches & Specialists
External coaches and specialists working with children on school premises are subject to KCSIE requirements.
Volunteer TAs
Volunteers in regulated activity with children require reference checks proportionate to their level of unsupervised contact.
What a KCSIE-compliant teaching assistant reference includes
Teaching Assistant Reference Template — KCSIE Compliant
Save separate templates for different support roles — SEN TA, cover supervisor, lunchtime supervisor. Up to 25 questions per template. Try a template →
KCSIE-compliant TA references — automated in six steps
Add the candidate
Name, email and mobile. Select your TA or support staff reference template. Under 2 minutes.
Written consent collected
Candidate receives email and SMS. Written consent given before any referee is contacted — timestamped and stored.
Reference request sent directly
Sent directly to the referee via a secure online link. Not via the candidate — independently obtained.
Automated chasing
5 email chasers + 2 SMS reminders automatically over 12 days. Typically returned in 1–3 days.
Written reference received
Referee completes the structured form online. Safeguarding and disciplinary questions mandatory.
PDF report for SCR
Full audit trail, consent record and all responses in a professional PDF for your Single Central Record.
Reference checking for teaching assistants — what schools need to know
Teaching assistants, SEN support staff, cover supervisors and lunchtime supervisors are among the most frequently overlooked categories when it comes to KCSIE compliance. Schools invest significant effort in teacher recruitment checks, but the same rigour is not always applied to support staff — even those with daily unsupervised contact with children. This is a safeguarding gap that Ofsted identifies during inspection.
KCSIE and teaching assistants — the key question
The test under KCSIE is not the job title — it is whether the role involves regulated activity with children. Regulated activity includes teaching, training, care, supervision, advice, treatment, or transport of children. A TA who works alongside a teacher in a classroom, supports a child with personal care needs, runs an after-school intervention group, or supervises children at lunch is in regulated activity. The full KCSIE pre-employment check process — including at least two written references with a safeguarding suitability question — applies.
SEN support staff — a higher risk category
SEN support staff, including one-to-one learning support assistants and EHCP key workers, often have more intensive and less supervised contact with individual children than classroom teachers. This makes robust reference checking particularly important. RefAssure allows schools to create role-specific templates — including additional questions around the candidate's experience with specific needs, their approach to behaviour management, and their understanding of safeguarding in a support context.
Volunteer teaching assistants and KCSIE
KCSIE applies to volunteers in regulated activity. Where a volunteer TA has regular unsupervised contact with children, the school should obtain references as part of its safer recruitment process. The level of checking should be proportionate to the frequency and nature of the contact — but for a regular volunteer in a classroom setting, the expectation is the same as for a paid member of staff. RefAssure credits can be used for volunteer reference checks at the same 99p per reference rate — no minimum spend, no monthly commitment.
Teaching assistant reference checks — questions answered
Yes. Under KCSIE, teaching assistants in regulated activity with children require the same pre-employment checks as teachers — including at least two written references obtained directly from referees, with an explicit safeguarding suitability question. The level of checking should be proportionate to the role, but for TAs with regular contact with children, the full KCSIE reference process applies.
A KCSIE-compliant TA reference should include: confirmation of employment dates and job title, reason for leaving, performance and conduct, attendance, an explicit question about suitability to work with children, whether the candidate has been subject to any disciplinary procedures or safeguarding allegations, and whether the referee would re-employ the candidate.
At least one reference should come from the most recent employer — ideally a headteacher, line manager or SENCO. For candidates with limited employment history, a reference from a relevant volunteer role or organisation is acceptable. Personal references from friends or family are not suitable for safer recruitment purposes.
KCSIE applies to volunteers in regulated activity with children. If a volunteer TA has regular unsupervised contact with children, the school should obtain references proportionate to the level of contact. For regular volunteers in classroom settings, the expectation mirrors that for paid staff.
Yes. Lunchtime supervisors with responsibility for supervising children, and cover supervisors managing classes, are in regulated activity. KCSIE pre-employment checks including references apply to these roles.
RefAssure charges from 99p per reference with no monthly subscription. Credits start at £9.99 for 10 references and never expire. No contracts, no per-user fees — cost-effective for schools checking both teaching and support staff.
More education reference checking guides
Teaching assistant reference checks.
KCSIE-compliant. From 99p.
Written references, candidate consent, safeguarding questions and a full audit trail for your Single Central Record — for every member of staff, not just teachers.
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