School safeguarding training checklist: planning compliance CPD and choosing the right provider (Jan–Mar)

For Headteachers, Deputy Heads, DSLs, MAT leaders and school budget holders, staff training isn’t just a diary exercise. It’s a core part of keeping pupils safe, meeting statutory expectations, and reducing organisational risk.

That’s why January to March is an ideal time to review your safeguarding and compliance CPD plan: you can address gaps early in the year, schedule training around busy periods, and make sure your school (or trust) is consistent across sites.

This guide provides a practical school safeguarding training checklist to help you plan, procure and evaluate training confidently.

Why safeguarding and compliance CPD is a spring-term priority

In the first part of the year, many schools are:

Reviewing priorities and budgets ahead of the new financial year
Responding to changes in staffing, roles, or leadership responsibilities
Planning INSET days and twilight sessions for the summer term
Preparing for audits, governance reviews, and safeguarding monitoring

Good training planning reduces last-minute panic and helps you evidence a proactive safeguarding culture.

What counts as safeguarding and compliance CPD?

Your training plan may include (depending on roles):

Whole-school safeguarding training (all staff)
DSL / Deputy DSL training and updates
Safer recruitment training
Prevent duty awareness
Online safety and cyber safeguarding
Behaviour, exclusions, and relational practice
SEND and safeguarding intersections
Mental health and wellbeing (staff and pupils)
First aid requirements (where relevant)

The key is to match training to your risk profile and the reality of your school community.

The school safeguarding training checklist

Use the checklist below to structure your approach.

1) Define your training objectives (and who needs what)

Start with a simple matrix that lists:

Staff groups (teaching, support, lunchtime, premises, volunteers)
Required training by role (including DSL/Deputy DSL)
Frequency (annual, termly updates, induction)
Delivery method (in-person, online, blended)

This prevents a common issue: training that’s delivered but not targeted.

2) Align training to your policies and real scenarios

Training lands best when it connects to your own procedures. As part of your checklist, confirm your provider can:

Reference your safeguarding policy and reporting routes
Use realistic scenarios (including low-level concerns)
Cover record-keeping expectations and escalation
Reinforce professional curiosity and challenge

If training feels generic, staff often forget it quickly.

3) Check statutory guidance and keep evidence

Schools typically reference statutory guidance when planning safeguarding CPD. A useful starting point is the Department for Education’s “Keeping children safe in education” guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2 For broader safeguarding support and resources, the NSPCC is also helpful: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Your checklist should include how you will evidence:

Attendance and completion
Content covered (agenda/outline)
Follow-up actions (policy refresh, supervision, monitoring)

4) Decide what “good” looks like in a training provider

Not all training is equal. When comparing providers, look for:

Education experience (schools and MATs, not just corporate)
Clear trainer credentials and safeguarding expertise
Up-to-date content aligned to current expectations
Ability to tailor sessions to your context
Strong references from similar settings

For MATs, also consider whether the provider can deliver consistent training across multiple sites.

5) Ask procurement-stage questions that reduce risk

Use these questions to compare providers consistently:

What is included in the price (delivery, materials, certificates, recording)?
Is there a pre-session needs assessment?
How do you handle Q&A and sensitive discussions?
What follow-up resources are provided?
Can you provide a short outline mapped to our requirements?
What is your cancellation/rescheduling policy?

A school safeguarding training checklist helps you avoid choosing based on availability alone.

6) Plan delivery around workload (and maximise attendance)

Safeguarding training is most effective when staff can engage properly. Consider:

Shorter sessions with spaced reinforcement
Twilight sessions for support staff (where appropriate)
Recording key content for induction (where suitable)
A clear expectation that all staff complete training

If you have high staff turnover, build a repeatable induction pathway.

7) Build in impact checks (not just completion)

Completion is not the same as impact. Add simple checks such as:

A short post-session confidence survey
A leadership walk-through of reporting routes and posters
A refresher on how to log concerns
Spot-checks: do staff know who the DSL/Deputy DSL are?

These steps help you evidence a safeguarding culture, not just a training event.

8) Keep governors and MAT leaders in the loop

For governance and assurance, document:

Your annual safeguarding CPD plan
Provider selection rationale
Attendance and completion rates
Any gaps and how you are addressing them

This supports accountability and makes audits far easier.

Find and compare training providers on the National Register of Education Suppliers

When you’re ready to shortlist, use the National Register of Education Suppliers to compare training providers in one place.

A simple way to use the register:

Start in the Training category and scan supplier profiles: https://incensu.co.uk/single-category/training/
Check for education-specific experience, accreditations, and clear course outlines on each profile
Look for evidence that the provider understands school realities (DSL responsibilities, whole-school updates, induction needs, MAT-wide delivery)
Shortlist 3–5 providers and request like-for-like proposals using the checklist questions above

If you’re a school and want to share your experience, you can recommend a trusted supplier here: https://incensu.co.uk/recommend-a-school-supplier/

Final school safeguarding training checklist summary

Before you book training, confirm you can answer “yes” to the following:

We know who needs what training and how often
Training aligns to our policies and real school scenarios
The provider has credible education safeguarding expertise
We have evidence of completion and follow-up actions
We’ve built in simple checks for impact

Using this school safeguarding training checklist will help you plan CPD with confidence, reduce compliance risk, and strengthen safeguarding practice across your school or trust.

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