Safeguarding Questions for Governor Visits

An 11-page fully editable document for school leaders and governors to use to support questioning during safeguarding link governor visits. The document is split into three sections which can support the information-gathering process over an academic year (or in a short time frame, if required): 

1. Safeguarding Questions for All Staff - this section is ideal for governors to use in discussion with all staff members to gain a clear understanding of any further training needs of staff. Questions include "What would you do if a pupil disclosed something to you?" and "What is child-on-child abuse and what signs might you spot?" Other safeguarding topics, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), child criminal exploitation (CCE) and county lines, can be inserted into this question to ensure staff training is secure across a broad spectrum of safeguarding topics.
2. Safeguarding Questions – Policies, Procedures and Approaches - these are key questions that the safeguarding link governor should discuss with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) during visits. They should also seek evidence on the school website, in policies, in the single central record and in other files.
3. Safeguarding Questions – Short Termly Meetings - this can be used as part of a half-termly or termly short visit to capture data on the current picture of safeguarding in the school at that point in time. It can then be duplicated to provide a picture of safeguarding, including trends and themes, over time.

Safeguarding link governors and the chair / vice chair of governors will find this pack extremely helpful. Headteachers and DSLs may also find the pack useful to give to their safeguarding governor to prompt them during visits, especially where the safeguarding link governor is new, inexperienced or lacking the questioning and challenge skills required. 

Safeguarding is vital to ensure pupils are kept safe from harm. It is everyone's responsibility and the entire Keeping Children Safe in Education document, but particularly Part Two, outlines the crucial role that governing bodies play. Paragraph 78 states: "Governing bodies and proprietors have a strategic leadership responsibility for their school or college’s safeguarding arrangements and must ensure that they comply with their duties under legislation. They must have regard to this guidance, ensuring policies, procedures and training in their schools or colleges are effective and comply with the law at all times. Headteachers and principals should ensure that the policies and procedures, adopted by their governing bodies and proprietors (particularly those concerning referrals of cases of suspected abuse and neglect), are understood, and followed by all staff." 

It's for this reason (and the many others listed in the 2024 KCSIE, the Ofsted Schools Inspection Handbook and Section 175 of the Education Act 2022) that governors should provide strong support and challenge to school leaders over the effectiveness of their safeguarding procedures in order to keep children safe from harm.

Browse Honeyguide's safeguarding and child protection resources for more support.