Posted on Thursday 14th Jul 2016
All self-employed tutors should be legally required to have a criminal records check before they can offer private lessons to children in the UK, children's charity the NSPCC says.
A current loophole means self-employed tutors do not have to undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
The NSPCC says this loophole creates an "ideal scenario" for "any predatory adult seeking to harm children".
The Home Office said it would "carefully consider" the comments.
Teachers working in schools must have a DBS check, which looks for criminal records and ensures they have not been banned from working with children or suspended from the profession.
Many tutoring agencies will insist on an up-to-date check on their staff, but some do not - and individuals setting up privately are not legally required to have a DBS certificate.
Employers and licensed bodies can request DBS checks, but individuals cannot, meaning parents and tutors cannot run such checks.
Now, the NSPCC is calling for a tightening of the law to ensure every individual giving private tuition undergoes a check, saying the same rules should apply for self-employed tutors as for classroom teachers.
Can't find what you are looking for?
Don't worry, please call us anyway to discuss your ideal job.
Latest News
17/03/25Poorest children missing more school and further behind after Covid
The poorest children are missing more school and falling further behind classmates, research shared with the BBC suggests. According to new analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) - which looked at pupil performance after the Covid-19 pandemic - children from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind peers by the time they are 16 years old.
13/03/25The government faces a "now or never moment" to hit its target of recruiting 6,500 new teachers in England
The government faces a "now or never moment" to hit its target of recruiting 6,500 new teachers in England by the end of its term, a new report has suggested. Analysis by the National Foundation of Educational Research (NFER) says unfilled vacancies are at a record high and recruitment into teacher training remains "persistently low." All but five secondary subjects missed this year's recruitment targets for new trainee teachers, which are set by the Department for Education (DfE).
06/03/25Medway children offered secondary school places as the number who got their first choice revealed
A total of 96% of children were offered places at a secondary school of their choice in Medway
04/03/25Schools to trial social media blackout scheme
Three schools in Surrey are launching a pilot programme to restrict mobile phone usage in an attempt to improve pupils' wellbeing. The secondary schools, which are part of the GLF Schools trust, are to trial an app that blocks social media, messaging and other apps which they believe are "distracting" during school hours. GLF Schools said the expected benefits were more focus in the classroom, a calmer learning environment and improved student mental health.
25/02/25First Kent schools named in free breakfast club pilot
The first schools in Kent and Medway to offer free breakfast clubs for pupils as part of a government scheme have been revealed.
News Archive