Ofsted Safeguarding Questions And Answers For 2026/27: What Inspectors Ask Leaders, Staff, Governors And Pupils

Ofsted inspectors work without a fixed list of safeguarding questions, but their conversations with leaders, staff, governors and pupils follow a clear pattern. If you know what they’re trying to find out, you can make sure everyone in your school is prepared to give honest, confident answers.

This guide sets out the Ofsted safeguarding questions and answers school leaders are most likely to need under the renewed inspection framework, using the school inspection toolkit and operating guide that took effect from September 2026 and Keeping children safe in education 2026. We’ve grouped the questions by who is likely to be asked them, and for each one we explain what the inspector is looking for, why it’s important and how to answer.

To understand what inspectors focus on, we read over 2,400 Ofsted report cards published between November 2025 and August 2026, including every one where safeguarding was ‘not met’. What they say about safeguarding, and what went wrong in the schools where safeguarding wasn’t met, shapes the questions below.

Key takeaways

• Ofsted judges safeguarding as ‘met’ or ‘not met’, separately from the five-point grades for the other evaluation areas.
• Inspectors gather safeguarding evidence by checking the single central record, meeting the designated safeguarding lead, reviewing casework and talking to staff, pupils and governors.
• Report cards show plenty about what inspectors look for, including pupils who feel safe and know who to talk to, staff reporting concerns accurately and leaders who know where every pupil is, even though they rarely mention the questions inspectors ask.
• In the schools where safeguarding was ‘not met’, the same weaknesses came up again and again, including weak oversight by governors, pupils who didn’t trust the school to act on their concerns, concerns that staff didn’t pass on and pupils absent or off-site without enough checks.
• Every member of staff, from teachers to lunchtime supervisors, should be able to say how they would report a concern about a child or a colleague, and who the designated safeguarding lead is.

Ofsted Preparation Guides: Primary and Secondary

A practical guide to preparing for maths under an Ofsted inspection, including what’s changed in the renewed framework, from report cards to the evaluation areas, and the questions inspectors are likely to ask.

Download Free Now!

How Ofsted asks about safeguarding now

Under the renewed framework, safeguarding is the only evaluation area judged as ‘met’ or ‘not met’. Inspectors check the single central record at the start of day 1, meet the designated safeguarding lead and review a sample of casework, talk to the headteacher about any allegations about adults, and speak to governors, staff and pupils throughout the two days.

Inspectors aren’t looking for paperwork created for them or policies on display. They bring this evidence together to decide whether the Ofsted safeguarding standards are met. This post focuses on the conversations along the way, and the questions you can practise with your team.

What over 2,400 Ofsted report cards tell us about safeguarding

Report cards record what inspectors found, and they rarely say which questions were asked along the way. Only around 35 of the report cards we read mention exact questions or what pupils ‘told inspectors’ in a safeguarding context, and about half of those are about governors asking leaders questions. Even so, the findings show clearly what inspectors pay attention to.

You’ll learn most about which questions to prepare for from the schools where safeguarding was ‘not met’. Ofsted judged safeguarding ‘not met’ in fewer than 1% of inspections, and we read every one of those report cards. The same failures came up repeatedly:

• pupils who were absent, on reduced timetables or educated off site without enough attention to the risks
• leaders and governors who didn’t recognise that absence could be a sign of a safeguarding concern
• pre-employment checks that hadn’t been secured or recorded, or gaps in the single central record
• staff who were unsure how to report concerns, who didn’t pass on what pupils told them, or whose concerns weren’t acted on promptly
• allegations about adults that weren’t dealt with quickly enough or through the right process
• safeguarding records that were incomplete or not kept systematically
• governors and trustees without the safeguarding training or oversight to hold leaders to account
• pupils who had little confidence that the school would act on their concerns, or who feared they wouldn’t be believed

Weak oversight by governors or trustees came up in 62% of these report cards, and pupils’ lack of confidence that the school would act came up in 54%. In one report card, Ofsted wrote: “Leaders do not have suitable systems in place to assure themselves of pupils’ safety when they are unexpectedly absent from school.” Another report card said: “Staff understand the key signs of abuse but have poor understanding of what to do about low-level concerns about another adult.”

A ‘not met’ judgement doesn’t have to last. Of these schools, 15% have since had monitoring inspections and now meet the safeguarding standards, after leaders brought in more systematic processes, clearer lines of accountability and more reliable record-keeping.

Ofsted safeguarding questions for headteachers and the designated safeguarding lead

Inspectors spend the most time on safeguarding with the headteacher and the designated safeguarding lead (DSL). Expect detailed questions and be ready to show records.

How do you check on pupils who are unexpectedly absent, off-site, or on part-time timetables?

This was one of the most common failures in the ‘not met’ report cards we read, and missing education can be a sign that a child is at risk of harm. Explain how you follow up on unexpected absence on the first day, when you escalate, and how you work with families and the local authority. For pupils in alternative provision or on part-time timetables, show that you know where they are, who is responsible for them, and that you have written confirmation of safeguarding checks on the staff at any alternative provision you use. Make sure attendance codes are recorded accurately too, including for pupils who are on roll but educated elsewhere.

Can you show me your single central record?

Inspectors check the single central record at the start of day 1. It should show every required pre-appointment and vetting check for staff, and any records relating to disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006 should be accurate. Since Keeping children safe in education 2026 removed the ‘supervision exemption’, volunteers who teach, train, instruct or supervise children on more than 3 days in a month, or overnight, are in regulated activity, so check that your records reflect this. Inspectors may request evidence of individual checks, so make sure the date of each check is recorded. In 23% of the ‘not met’ report cards, pre-employment checks were missing or the single central record had gaps.

How do you handle allegations or low-level concerns about adults?

Inspectors review allegations about adults with the headteacher, and they will want to see that you follow local authority procedures and refer to the local authority designated officer (LADO) where needed. Talk them through how staff raise low-level concerns about colleagues and how you record them, then how you look for patterns across those records. Almost a quarter (23%) of the ‘not met’ report cards criticised how allegations or low-level concerns about adults were handled. In one, leaders didn’t act quickly enough on allegations or follow the right process at every stage; in another, staff understood the signs of abuse but not what to do about a low-level concern about another adult.

Can you talk me through this case?

The DSL should expect to discuss a sample of casework in detail. Inspectors want to see that concerns were recorded accurately and acted on promptly, that they were shared with the right agencies, and that the child’s views and wishes were listened to. Be ready to explain what happened, the steps you took, which agencies were involved, what the outcome was for the child and what the school has learned.

How do you work with other agencies?

Explain how you assess when a situation needs a referral, how you make referrals to children’s social care, including referrals to Family Help under the updated guidance, and how you work with safeguarding partners and the police where needed. Inspectors look for leaders who seek expert advice and accept challenge so that the right decisions are made.

How does safeguarding shape your curriculum?

Inspectors look at how the school teaches pupils to keep themselves and others safe, including online, and how that knowledge builds as children and young people move through the school. Explain how your PSHE and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum responds to the risks pupils face locally, such as online harms, exploitation or harmful attitudes towards women and girls, which Keeping children safe in education 2026 now gives more attention to. You might also mention workshops or information you share with parents and carers so that the messages pupils hear in school are reinforced at home.

How do you support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing?

The mental health section of Keeping children safe in education was substantially updated for 2026. Inspectors want to see that staff can identify mental health concerns that may become safeguarding concerns, such as self-harm, eating disorders or suicidal ideation, and that there is a clear route for staff to report them. Inspectors will want to hear how concerns reach the DSL and how you work with health services and other agencies, as well as how you support pupils’ wellbeing while they wait for specialist help.

What happens when the DSL isn’t available?

Keeping children safe in education 2026 sets out what it expects of DSL cover arrangements, and your child protection policy should describe them. Be ready to say who deputises and how staff know who to go to, and how information reaches the DSL when they return.

When did you last review your filtering and monitoring?

Schools must now review the effectiveness of their filtering and monitoring at least once every academic year, led by the SLT member responsible with the DSL and IT support, and keep a record. Have the record of your latest review ready to share, with the actions you took to improve your filtering and monitoring as a result.

Ofsted safeguarding questions for staff

Inspectors meet a randomly selected group of staff and talk to staff during learning walks. Every member of staff, including teachers, teaching assistants and those who don’t work directly with children, should be confident answering these questions. Keeping children safe in education 2026 expects all staff to read Part one in full.

What would you do if a pupil told you something worrying?

Staff should say that they would listen, stay calm, avoid asking leading questions, never promise to keep a secret, record what the pupil said in their own words as soon as possible and pass it to the DSL straight away using the school’s system. If a child is in immediate danger, they would act immediately. A leading question suggests an answer, such as ‘Did someone at home hurt you?’, so staff should use open prompts like ‘Tell me more’ instead.

Passing the concern on matters as much as listening. In one ‘not met’ report card, Ofsted found that “when pupils turn to adults that they trust to share their worries, staff do not routinely pass on these concerns to leaders.”

What would you do if you had a safeguarding concern about a member of staff?

Staff should know to report concerns about colleagues to the headteacher, and concerns about the headteacher to the chair of governors. They should also know what a low-level concern is and that they should report it, even if it doesn’t seem serious. Your staff code of conduct should clearly distinguish between a low-level concern and an allegation. This links directly to one of the failures we found in the ‘not met’ report cards.

Who is the designated safeguarding lead, and who do you go to if they’re not here?

It’s one of the simplest questions an inspector can ask, and how staff answer it tells inspectors a lot. Make sure every member of staff can name the DSL and the deputies, and knows where to find them in the building.

How do you record a safeguarding concern?

Staff should be able to describe the school’s system for recording concerns, whether that’s an electronic system or a paper form, and what to include: the date and time, what they saw or heard, the child’s own words and any action they took. Incomplete or inaccurate records came up in 46% of the ‘not met’ report cards we read, so accurate record-keeping is worth practising with every member of staff.

What signs would make you concerned about a pupil?

Staff should be aware of the signs of maltreatment, neglect, abuse and exploitation, including child criminal and sexual exploitation, and mental health concerns such as self-harm. Keeping children safe in education 2026 expanded the examples staff should be alert to, so make sure your safeguarding training and professional development reflect the new guidance. Changes in a child’s behaviour, attendance or presentation in the classroom are often the first sign.

How do you keep pupils safe online in your lessons?

Staff should know the school’s filtering and monitoring arrangements and how online safety is taught, as well as how to report an online safety concern. Teachers should also be able to explain how they check that any websites or apps used in the classroom are suitable. Our screen time checklist for schools has 6 checks staff can apply to any app or screen-based activity, including whether an adult can see what is on the screen.

What would you do if you saw or heard about child-on-child abuse?

Staff should be clear that child-on-child abuse, including sexual harassment and the sharing of nudes or semi-nudes, always needs a safeguarding response, and that it should never be dismissed as ‘banter’. They should know how to report it and how the school supports everyone involved.

Ofsted safeguarding questions for governors and trustees

Since September 2026, the toolkit has made clear that ‘leaders’ in the safeguarding evaluation area includes those responsible for governance. In the report cards we read, the strongest governors were described as asking focused questions about safeguarding.

How do you know safeguarding is effective in your school?

Governors should be able to describe the information they receive, such as regular safeguarding reports from the DSL, and the questions they ask about it. One report card described governors who “ask focused questions about safeguarding and all aspects of provision”. In the ‘not met’ report cards, governors often hadn’t reviewed information such as safeguarding incidents, or had taken what they were told on trust without checking it.

How would you handle an allegation about the headteacher?

Inspectors discuss this with the chair of governors, or a trustee in an academy. Governors should know the procedure and who they would contact.

What safeguarding training have governors had?

Keeping children safe in education expects governors and trustees to receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training at induction, with regular updates. Have a record of what governors have completed and the date each governor last completed it. Several ‘not met’ report cards found governors who lacked detailed safeguarding knowledge or hadn’t had suitable training.

How do you know pupils who are absent or off site are safe?

In several ‘not met’ report cards, governors hadn’t sought enough assurance about attendance and safeguarding. Governors should be able to explain how they monitor attendance patterns, pupils on part-time timetables and the use of alternative provision.

Ofsted safeguarding questions for pupils

Inspectors talk to pupils throughout the inspection, including the pupils they follow through case sampling. In early years and key stage 1, inspectors adapt their language to the pupils’ age.

Do you feel safe in school?

This is the question behind most of what report cards say about safeguarding. In 73% of the report cards we read, inspectors described pupils feeling safe in the school’s own terms.

Who would you talk to if you were worried about something?

Pupils should be able to name an adult they trust, whether that’s a class teacher, a teaching assistant or another member of staff. Report cards often describe pupils who “know who to speak to if they have any concerns”.

How do you stay safe online?

Pupils should be able to explain, in age-appropriate language, how to stay safe online and what to do if something worries them. Older students might talk about privacy settings, sharing images or what to do if a stranger contacts them.

What happens if someone is unkind or bullies you?

Inspectors want to hear that pupils have confidence the school will act and that behaviour problems are resolved. Pupils’ lack of confidence that the school would deal with their concerns came up in 54% of the ‘not met’ report cards, and in some schools pupils said they wouldn’t report a concern because they feared they wouldn’t be believed.

Safeguarding questions about AI tools and online learning

Keeping children safe in education 2026 adds guidance on the safe and effective use of generative AI in education. If your school uses AI tools with pupils, expect questions about how you checked they are safe.

How do you make sure any AI tools pupils use are safe?

Explain how you checked each tool against the DfE’s generative AI product safety standards, what data it collects, who can access it, and what happens if a pupil discloses something while using it.

Example: how Skye handles safeguarding

If you use Third Space Learning’s AI maths tutor Skye, these are the safeguarding and compliance points to have ready. Skye has been built to keep pupils safe, secure and on track. Our highly moderated AI model ensures Skye can only access learning content written, approved and controlled by our academic team of former teachers.

Third Space Learning has its own statutory safeguarding duties under Keeping children safe in education and the DfE Generative AI Product Safety Standards. If a pupil makes a disclosure during a session, our safeguarding team reviews the session recording and contacts the school’s designated safeguarding lead directly. Where there is an immediate risk to a child, we may escalate to the relevant authorities, and we notify the school of any action taken.

Lesson recordings and transcripts can only be accessed by a small number of designated, safeguarding-trained staff at Third Space Learning, not through school accounts. Skye does not use pupil data to train AI models. The full detail, including our data retention schedule and DPIA pack, is on our trust and compliance page.

Using these questions with your team

These questions work well in staff training, especially early in the autumn term once everyone has read Keeping children safe in education 2026 Part one. Practising them with your DSL, deputy DSLs, governors and a mix of teaching and support staff helps everyone feel confident, and it often shows up gaps in policy and procedures before an inspector does. Don’t forget to include new staff, supply staff and volunteers, and to check their knowledge again later in the year.

You can use a similar approach with pupils. One report card described a school that asks pupils weekly safeguarding questions, which reassures them that leaders care about their welfare and respond quickly to their concerns.

The same approach works for wider Ofsted inspection preparation, including the documents needed by 8am on day 1, and for the Ofsted questions inspectors ask about curriculum, inclusion and leadership.

Ofsted safeguarding questions and answers FAQs