Prohibition from teaching checks

Last reviewed on 26 August 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 32839

You have to carry out a prohibition check on all teachers and support staff who will do 'teaching work'. Understand what counts as 'teaching work' and how to do the check.

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Contents

  1. Any member of staff appointed to carry out teaching work needs a prohibition check 
  2. How to do the check
  3. You should carry out checks for support staff too 

Any member of staff appointed to carry out teaching work needs a prohibition check 

This is set out in paragraph 213 of Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Teaching work is defined as:

  • Planning and preparing lessons and courses for pupils
  • Delivering lessons to pupils, including through distance learning or online
  • Assessing the development, progress and attainment of pupils
  • Reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils

These activities are not seen as ‘teaching work’ if the person doing them is under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher (or someone nominated by the headteacher to direct and supervise them), unless this is for the purposes of induction. 

This is outlined in section 3 of the Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012.

How to do the check

Using a teacher reference number

This includes trainee, newly-qualified

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