GovWire

Guidance: Check the children's barred list

Department For Education

January 21
09:11 2025

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As a recruiting organisation there are pre-appointment checks you need to make before an employee can work with children.

You must have a legitimate interest in the person you are checking. This means you have engaged or are considering engaging them in regulated activity.

The childrens barred list is usually checked as part of a new employees enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Recruiting organisations can check the childrens barred list separately if the new employee:

  • will start working with children while waiting for the result of an enhanced DBS check
  • only needs a barred list check and not an enhanced DBS check because theyve worked with children or young people in a school or college within the last 3 months prior to appointment

Find out how to request an enhanced DBS check for an employee.

Before starting

Before you check a potential employeess record, you should confirm the teachers identity.

Who can do the checks

The following recruiting organisations can check the childrens barred list:

  • schools
  • colleges
  • local authorities
  • higher education institutions
  • single and multi-academy trusts

The information you will need

You will need the new employees last name and date of birth to check the childrens barred list.

People on the childrens barred list are not allowed to work with children. If your check results in a possible match, you will need to contact the DBS to verify it is the correct person.

How to access the list

You can use your DfE Sign-in account to gain access or use the information below to help you create an account.

Start now

If you do not have a DfE sign-in account

If you do not have an account you can:

  • ask your organisations approver to create an account for you
  • use thecontact formto request an account if you do not have an approver
  • email teaching.status@education.gov.uk if you work for a teacher supply agency, you should normally receive a response within 5 working days
  • check a teachers record while you wait for your DfE Sign-in account by emailing tra.prohibition@education.gov.uk and using urgent query in the subject line

Updates to this page

Published 26 June 2024
Last updated 21 January 2025 +show all updates
  1. Updated information on how to check the children's barred list and the DfE sign-in account.

  2. First published.

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