Prohibition from teaching checks

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.

Last reviewed on 9 November 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 32839
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 

You must carry out this check, as set out in paragraph 231 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

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.

To make sure that you're carrying out all the necessary checks for teaching staff, take a look at our recruitment checks cheat sheet.

How to do the check