What is the single central record?
The single central record (SCR) is the register every school and college in England must keep of pre-appointment checks on its staff. For each person, it records which checks were done and when: identity, enhanced DBS, barred list, right to work and more.
It’s a requirement of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), the Department for Education’s statutory safeguarding guidance. It’s also one of the first documents an inspector asks to see.
This guide covers who must be on the SCR, what you must record and what changed in KCSIE 2026.
Just need the template? The free Excel download is further down, in the section on what must be recorded.
Reviewed for KCSIE 2026 by Lewis Rennison, 29/09/2026
What changed for the SCR in KCSIE 2026
KCSIE 2026 came into force on 1 September 2026 and is the biggest update in years. The checks you record on the SCR haven’t changed, but who needs which checks has.
- Volunteers. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 removed the “supervision exemption”. Volunteers who regularly teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children are now in regulated activity, even when supervised. They need an enhanced DBS check with a children’s barred list check, and that includes volunteers you already have.
- Starting before the DBS arrives. Anyone who starts before their DBS certificate comes back must be appropriately supervised. Every other check must be done first, including a separate children’s barred list check.
- Early years. If you have nursery or reception provision, the 2026 EYFS framework is stricter. Staff and volunteers in early years settings can’t start until both the enhanced DBS certificate and the barred list check have been received.
- Paragraph numbers. KCSIE has been renumbered, so update any paragraph references in your safer recruitment policy.
Who must be on the single central record?
The SCR must include everyone who works at your school in a paid role, including supply staff. In academies and independent schools, it must also include the people who run the organisation.
| Who | On the SCR? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All staff employed by the school | Required | Teaching, support, admin, site and catering staff. |
| Agency and third-party supply staff | Required | Even if they only work for you for one day. |
| Trainee teachers on salaried routes | Required | Treated the same as staff. |
| Academy trust members and trustees | Required | The trust is the proprietor of its academies. |
| Independent school proprietors | Required | Every member of the proprietor body. |
| Fee-funded trainee teachers | Good practice | The training provider does the checks. Get written confirmation from them. |
| Volunteers | Good practice | Regular volunteers now need an enhanced DBS with a barred list check. |
| Governors of maintained schools | Good practice | They must have an enhanced DBS check. A barred list check only applies if they’re in regulated activity. |
| Contractors | Optional | Make sure the right checks have been done, and check their ID on arrival. |
If someone has more than one role, such as a teaching assistant who also helps at after-school club, list them once. Use the role with the most contact with children.
What must be recorded on the SCR?
For each member of staff, you must record whether each check below was done and the date it was completed. You record that a check happened and when, never what it found.
| Check | Who it applies to | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | All staff | Date checked |
| Enhanced DBS certificate | All staff | Date of the certificate or check |
| Children’s barred list | Staff in regulated activity | Date checked, recorded separately if done before the DBS arrived |
| Prohibition from teaching | Anyone appointed to carry out teaching work | Date checked |
| Checks for people who have lived or worked outside the UK | Where relevant | Date of each check |
| Professional qualifications | Roles that require them, such as QTS where required | Date verified |
| Right to work in the UK | All staff | Date checked |
| Section 128 | Management positions in academies, free schools and independent schools | Date checked |
| Relevant activity | Colleges only | Whether the role involves it |
For trustees, members and proprietors, record their identity, enhanced DBS and section 128 checks, plus any overseas checks.
For agency and third-party supply staff, you don’t record their individual checks. You record the agency’s written confirmation that it has done them, the date you received it, and whether an enhanced DBS certificate has been provided.
There’s no required format. A spreadsheet, your MIS or dedicated software all work, as long as the record is accurate, secure and can be produced when asked.
Free single central record template (KCSIE 2026)
Our free Excel template has a column for every required check and flags anything missing for each type of person. It also includes a leavers tab and a summary for trusts.
[Button: Download the free SCR template (Excel)]
[Optional: Want to know when KCSIE changes? Sign up for update alerts.]
Checks you must do but don’t have to record
Some safer recruitment checks are required but don’t need to appear on the SCR. Keep the evidence on the personnel file instead:
- References, ideally obtained before interview.
- Online searches on shortlisted candidates, which KCSIE says schools should consider.
- Childcare disqualification checks, for staff working in or managing early or later years provision for children under 8.
- Checks that the person has the physical and mental fitness to carry out the role.
You can add columns for these if it helps, and many schools do. Just make sure the required fields stay complete.
Agency and supply staff on the SCR
Agency and third-party supply staff must be on your SCR, even if they only work one day. The agency is their employer, so it carries out the checks. Your job is to:
- Get written confirmation from the agency that it has done every check you would otherwise do, and record the date you received it.
- Record whether the agency has provided an enhanced DBS certificate for that person.
- Check that the person who arrives is the person the agency checked, using photo ID.
The same approach works for fee-funded trainee teachers, where confirmation comes from the training provider, and for contractors.
The SCR in a multi-academy trust
A multi-academy trust must keep an SCR covering the checks at every academy in the trust. One trust-wide record is fine. But you must be able to produce each academy’s entries separately, and without delay, when an inspector asks.
In practice, that means recording which academy each person works at, so you can filter the record by school. Members and trustees must be on the record too.
Keeping the SCR secure and up to date
The SCR holds personal data about your staff. Keep it secure and limit access to the people who need it.
- DBS certificates. You don’t need copies of DBS certificates to maintain the SCR. If you do keep one, have a valid reason and don’t keep it for longer than six months.
- Other documents. Copies of identity, right to work and qualification documents belong on the personnel file, not the SCR.
- Leavers. Move leavers to a separate archive rather than deleting them, and follow your retention policy.
- Keep it live. Update the record as each check happens, not in a rush before an inspection.
- Data protection. KCSIE 2026 defines “data protection laws” as the Data Protection Act 2018, the UK GDPR and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
What inspectors look for, and common mistakes
Inspectors usually ask for the SCR early, often on the first day. They want a record that is complete, accurate and current for everyone working in the school.
Common mistakes include:
- Blank cells where there should be a date or N/A.
- No separate barred list entry for someone who started before their DBS came back.
- Missing section 128 checks for headteachers and senior leaders in academies.
- Agency confirmation recorded without the date it was received.
- Supply staff left off because they were only in for a day or two.
- Existing volunteers not checked since the KCSIE 2026 change.
- Leavers left on the live record, or deleted with no archive.
- Different people recording checks in different ways, so the record is hard to read.
Spreadsheet or software?
A well-built spreadsheet can meet every requirement, and many schools use one. The trouble is everything around the record.
A spreadsheet won’t remind anyone when a right to work check needs repeating. Gaps only show up when someone goes looking. And the record depends on one person keeping it current.
If that sounds familiar, single central record software takes that work off your plate. EduLeaders Compliance tracks every check, emails your team before anything lapses and exports an inspection-ready record in one click.
It costs £89 a month per school, with no contract. Start your 30-day free trial.
Single central record FAQs
Is the single central record a legal requirement?
Yes. Every school and college in England must keep one. It’s set out in KCSIE, and the regulations behind it call it “the register”.
Do volunteers need to be on the SCR?
It isn’t compulsory, but it’s good practice. Since KCSIE 2026, volunteers who work regularly with children need an enhanced DBS with a barred list check, even when supervised. Recording those checks in one place makes sense.
Do governors need to be on the SCR?
In academies and independent schools, trustees, members and proprietors must be on it. Governors of maintained schools don’t have to be, but they must have an enhanced DBS check, and many schools record them.
Can the SCR be kept electronically?
Yes. There’s no set format. A spreadsheet, your MIS or dedicated software are all fine, as long as the record is secure and you can produce it when asked.
Do you have to record DBS certificate numbers?
No. You must record that the check was done and when. Many schools add the certificate number anyway, because it makes DBS Update Service checks easier.
Who is responsible for the SCR?
The governing body or proprietor is accountable. Day to day, it’s usually kept by a named person in the leadership or admin team, with the headteacher and governors overseeing it.
How often should you review the SCR?
KCSIE doesn’t set a frequency. Update it as each check happens, and review the whole record regularly. Termly is a sensible rhythm.
Sources
- Keeping children safe in education 2026, Department for Education. Statutory guidance, in force from 1 September 2026.
- Keeping children safe in education 2026: a practical guide for schools, Farrer & Co, September 2026.
- Single Central Record guide, Buckinghamshire Council SchoolsWeb, updated August 2026.
This guide was reviewed by Lewis Rennison on 29/09/2026. It summarises KCSIE 2026 for schools and colleges in England and isn’t legal advice.