Undertaking a Safeguarding and Prevention Review in Education Settings

Safeguarding within education settings is an ongoing responsibility that requires regular reflection and review. As risks to children and young people continue to evolve, schools, colleges and other education providers must ensure that their safeguarding and prevention arrangements remain effective, compliant and embedded in everyday practice.

Undertaking a safeguarding and prevention review allows education leaders to assess current practice, identify areas for improvement and demonstrate a proactive commitment to protecting learners from harm.

Understanding Safeguarding and Prevention Reviews

A safeguarding and prevention review is a structured process that examines how effectively an education setting protects children and young people. It looks beyond written policies to assess whether safeguarding measures are understood by staff, applied consistently and supported by a strong organisational culture.

For education providers, this includes reviewing leadership accountability, the effectiveness of policies and procedures, staff awareness and confidence, reporting processes and the extent to which prevention and early intervention are prioritised.

Safeguarding in education training is fundamental to a prevention review.

Why Regular Safeguarding Reviews Are Essential in Education

Education providers have both a legal and moral duty to safeguard children and young people. Regular safeguarding and prevention reviews help schools and colleges demonstrate compliance with statutory guidance such as Keeping Children Safe in Education and show that safeguarding remains a strategic priority.

By reviewing safeguarding arrangements on a regular basis, education settings can identify emerging risks, strengthen inspection readiness and ensure that safeguarding practice remains effective and up to date.

Leadership, Accountability and Governance

Effective safeguarding begins with strong leadership and clear accountability. A safeguarding and prevention review should consider whether safeguarding roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and understood across the organisation.

This includes evaluating how Designated Safeguarding Leads are supported, whether safeguarding is embedded within wider school improvement planning and how governors or trustees maintain appropriate oversight.

Reviewing Safeguarding Policies and Procedures

Safeguarding policies provide the foundation for safe practice, but they must be current, accessible and reflective of statutory guidance. A safeguarding review should examine whether policies clearly outline reporting processes and address key risks such as online safety, peer-on-peer abuse and allegations against staff.

It is equally important to assess whether staff know where to find safeguarding policies and understand how to follow them in practice.

Staff Awareness, Confidence and Practice

Safeguarding children relies heavily on staff understanding and confidence. A safeguarding and prevention review should explore whether staff are able to recognise signs of abuse and neglect and whether they feel confident in raising concerns.

Regular safeguarding training and updates help reinforce expectations, support early identification of concerns and ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are consistently applied across the workforce.

Prevention and Early Intervention in Education Settings

Safeguarding is not solely about responding to incidents; it is also about preventing harm wherever possible. A safeguarding review should consider how effectively the education setting promotes a culture of vigilance, openness and early intervention.

This includes reviewing approaches to pupil wellbeing, behaviour management, bullying prevention and contextual safeguarding risks, both online and offline.

Reviewing Reporting and Response Processes

Clear reporting and response processes are critical to effective safeguarding. A safeguarding and prevention review should examine how concerns are recorded, how information is shared internally and how referrals to external agencies are managed.

Education settings should be able to demonstrate timely, appropriate responses to concerns and show how safeguarding outcomes are monitored and reviewed.

Turning Review Findings Into Meaningful Improvement

A safeguarding and prevention review should lead to practical improvement. Education leaders should use findings to update policies, address training gaps and strengthen safeguarding arrangements where weaknesses are identified.

Safeguarding improvement should be treated as an ongoing process, with regular review and reflection built into organisational practice.

Embedding a Proactive Safeguarding Culture

Regular safeguarding and prevention reviews demonstrate a clear commitment to protecting children and young people. They support compliance, strengthen leadership accountability and help education settings remain inspection-ready.

By embedding safeguarding into everyday practice and supporting staff with appropriate training, education providers can create safe environments where learners feel supported and able to thrive.