School Support Staff — Non-Teaching Roles

School support staff reference checks — KCSIE applies to all staff with pupil access

KCSIE pre-employment checks apply to support staff with regular access to pupils — admin staff, site managers, catering and cleaning staff, IT technicians and others. The same reference standard applies as for teachers. RefAssure from 99p, no subscription.

All pupil-access roles covered Same KCSIE standard Non-teaching templates SCR documentation From 99p

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School support staff references — KCSIE applies to every role with regular pupil access

The assumption that KCSIE reference requirements apply only to teachers is one of the most common safer recruitment gaps in schools. A site manager with keys to the building, an admin officer who processes pupil data, a catering staff member in daily contact with children — all of these roles may fall within regulated activity and require KCSIE-compliant references.

KCSIE

Compliant — by design

1–3

Days turnaround

What RefAssure Provides

School Support Staff References — KCSIE-compliant by default

Non-teaching role templates

Support staff templates include the mandatory KCSIE safeguarding suitability question alongside role-appropriate questions about conduct in a school environment, interaction with pupils, and professional reliability.

Suitability to work with children — always asked

The safeguarding suitability question is mandatory in every education template regardless of role type. An admin officer or site manager reference must include this question if the role involves regular access to children.

Ofsted finds this gap specifically

Ofsted inspectors review support staff recruitment records as well as teaching staff files. A site manager or catering staff member with no reference documentation or an inadequate reference is a finding — the same as for a teacher.

SCR entry and documentation

Every reference generates a PDF with full audit trail — filed alongside the support staff member's SCR entry. The same quality of inspection-ready evidence as for teaching appointments.

School support staff references — who KCSIE applies to and why it matters

Which non-teaching roles require KCSIE references

KCSIE pre-employment checks apply to anyone engaged in "regulated activity" with children — which includes regular, direct, unsupervised contact or teaching. For most non-teaching roles, the test is whether the staff member has regular access to children in a school context. A site manager who is on site throughout the school day and interacts with pupils regularly may fall within this definition. An admin officer who works in a reception area where pupils are present will almost certainly do so.

Schools should not apply a blanket assumption that support staff do not need KCSIE checks. The DfE guidance advises schools to consider each role individually. Where there is any doubt, applying the full KCSIE check process — including written references with safeguarding questions — is always the safer approach. RefAssure makes this inexpensive and fast at 99p per reference.

What Ofsted expects for support staff recruitment records

Ofsted inspectors do not review only teaching staff recruitment files. Support staff — particularly those in roles with regular pupil contact — are included in the sample inspectors examine. Schools where teaching staff files are compliant but support staff files are thin or incomplete are still likely to receive a safeguarding concern. The easiest solution is a consistent approach: every role with pupil access gets the same KCSIE-compliant reference process through RefAssure, regardless of whether it is a teaching or support appointment.

FAQ

School Support Staff References — questions answered

Yes. KCSIE pre-employment checks apply to any member of staff in regulated activity with children — which can include admin staff, site managers, catering and cleaning staff and IT technicians, depending on their level and regularity of access to pupils. Schools should assess each role individually.

If an admin staff member has regular access to pupils, KCSIE-compliant references are required — written references obtained directly from referees with safeguarding suitability questions, documented candidate consent and a full audit trail. The same standard as for teaching staff.

Yes. Ofsted inspectors may review support staff recruitment records, particularly for roles with regular pupil contact. Schools where teaching staff files are compliant but support staff files are inadequate still risk a safeguarding concern.

RefAssure allows schools to create role-specific templates for support staff appointments — with mandatory KCSIE safeguarding questions plus appropriate non-teaching context questions. Every reference generates the same SCR-ready PDF as a teaching appointment from 99p.

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