Teaching recruiter Randstad Education has launched an initiative to keep its client schools safe and compliant in the midst of uncertain government policy.
Randstad Education’s latest initiative is intended to help schools keep pupils safe whatever the government policy.

Many schools have a number of tried and tested teachers that it would choose to call upon in an emergency; Randstad Education is offering to register these teachers through its stringent registration procedure – which includes Criminal Records Bureau checks, Qualified Teacher Status checks, reference checks, identity and qualification checks – so all a school needs to do is call and ask for them by name whenever cover is required.

The vetting of up to nine million people who frequently work with children, which was founded on recommendations made by Sir Michael Bichard following his enquiry into the circumstances surrounding the Soham murders and due to start next month, has been put on hold pending a review intended to scale back the scheme. The Independent Safeguarding Authority, which was set to run this scheme, will continue to make decisions about barring inappropriate teachers from schools, as education secretary, Michael Gove, announced that the teachers’ disciplinary watchdog, the General Teaching Council, is to be scrapped.

Jon Sheridan, child protection officer at Randstad Education, said: “In a period of growing uncertainty and confusion as to what checks are required, this initiative takes the burden off the headteacher’s shoulders, eliminates additional costs and allows for proper checks to be carried out by people who know the rules back to front.”