Reporting a Safeguarding Concern at School
Every school in England is required by law to have safeguarding procedures and a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). If you have a concern about a child's safety or welfare connected to school — whether the concern arises at school or involves a school-age child — the school's DSL is your primary contact. In Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the same principle applies under their respective statutory guidance.
Immediate danger — call 999
If a child is in immediate physical danger at school or nearby, call 999. Do not wait for the school to respond.
What to report
- •Signs of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in a child attending school
- •Concerning behaviour from a school staff member or volunteer towards a child
- •A child disclosing abuse at home or by someone in their community
- •Evidence of radicalisation or concerning extremist influence on a pupil
- •Significant changes in a child's behaviour, attendance, or welfare suggesting a safeguarding concern
How to report
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
When to use
As the first point of contact for any safeguarding concern involving a school-age child
How to contact
Contact the school by phone or in person and ask to speak to the DSL. By law, every school must display the DSL's name prominently and include it in the safeguarding policy. In secondary schools, there will usually be a deputy DSL too.
What to expect
The DSL will record the concern, assess it against statutory thresholds, and decide whether to refer to children's services (MASH) or police. They should acknowledge your concern and tell you what action they intend to take, unless doing so would compromise a child's safety.
Headteacher (if DSL is unresponsive or implicated)
When to use
If the DSL fails to respond adequately, or if your concern involves the DSL themselves
How to contact
Contact the headteacher directly by phone or in writing. Request that they take ownership of the concern. Record all contact attempts.
What to expect
The headteacher has overall responsibility for school safeguarding and must ensure concerns are referred appropriately. If the concern involves the headteacher, contact the school's governing body.
Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO)
When to use
If your concern involves an allegation against a member of school staff or a volunteer
How to contact
Contact the LADO via your local authority's children's services department. Every local authority in England has a LADO. Their contact details should be in the school's safeguarding policy or available via the LA website.
What to expect
The LADO will assess the allegation and decide whether it meets the threshold for a formal investigation. They coordinate between the school, police, and children's services. The school must be informed of an allegation against their staff.
Local authority children's services (MASH)
When to use
If the school has not taken appropriate action or if you want to report directly without going through the school
How to contact
Contact your local council's children's services department or Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub. Your council website will have contact details. You can find your local MASH at gov.uk/report-child-abuse-to-local-council.
What to expect
Children's services will assess the referral and may open a child protection enquiry under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 if the threshold is met. You will be kept informed of the outcome where appropriate.
Ofsted (England) — if systemic school failure
When to use
If you believe the school has a systemic failure to safeguard children, rather than an individual concern
How to contact
Submit a concern to Ofsted at reports.ofsted.gov.uk/submit-a-concern-about-a-school. Select the safeguarding category.
What to expect
Ofsted may bring forward an inspection or carry out a focused inspection of the school's safeguarding arrangements. They will not investigate individual cases but will assess whether the school's systems are adequate.
Evidence checklist
Gather this information before or during your report. Do not delay reporting while collecting evidence — but preserve what you can.
- Date, time, and location of the concern or disclosure
- Exact words used by the child if they made a disclosure — written as soon as possible after
- Any visible injuries — note their location, size, and appearance without photographing them
- Names of any other staff or adults present at the time
- Previous similar concerns and whether they were reported
- The child's name, year group, and class teacher
What to say
You do not need to use a script, but this template may help if you are nervous about making the call. Adapt it to your circumstances.
"I am reporting a safeguarding concern about a child at [school name]. The child is in Year [X]. My concern is [brief description — e.g. the child disclosed that they are being hit at home / I have observed unexplained injuries / a member of staff has behaved inappropriately]. This happened / was disclosed on [date]. I would like to know what action is being taken and to whom this concern has been referred."
What happens next
The DSL or LADO will assess the concern against statutory thresholds set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (England, 2023). If the threshold is met, a referral will be made to children's services, who will carry out a Child and Family Assessment. In cases involving alleged staff misconduct, the LADO process runs in parallel. The child's welfare is the paramount consideration throughout.
What not to do
- ✗Do not investigate the concern yourself or question the child in detail — this can compromise any subsequent investigation
- ✗Do not promise the child confidentiality — explain that you may need to share the information to keep them safe
- ✗Do not delay reporting — report the same day if at all possible
- ✗Do not share the concern with people who do not need to know
- ✗Do not confront the person who may be causing harm
Frequently asked questions
Do the same rules apply in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland?
Yes, all four nations have statutory safeguarding frameworks, though the guidance documents differ. Scotland uses Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). Wales uses Working Together to Safeguard People (2022). Northern Ireland uses Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People (2017). In each case, schools must have a lead safeguarding teacher and follow referral procedures to social services.
I'm a teacher — what if I'm not sure it meets the threshold?
Report your concern to the DSL regardless of whether you are certain. The DSL is trained to assess thresholds. Your role is to report concerns, not to investigate or make judgements about whether abuse has occurred.
Sources and further information
- Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 (England) — Department for Education
- Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 — Department for Education
This guidance is for informational purposes. It is not a substitute for emergency services or professional safeguarding support. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 (UK) or 911 (US) now.
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Last reviewed: 2026-04-19. This page provides general educational information, not legal or professional safeguarding advice. UK helplines and legislation may change — verify current details with the relevant organisation.