Searching, Screening and Confiscation for Schools Training (Non-Statutory)

DfE updated guidance Searching, Screening and Confiscation; Advice for schools in July 2022 provides best practice guidance to ensure headteachers, governors, staff and pupils understand the appropriate powers and rules around pupil behaviour and how they should facilitate this in their setting.

Using searching, screening and confiscation powers appropriately is an important way to ensure pupil and staff welfare is protected and helps schools establish an environment where everyone is safe. Schools and their staff are an important part of the wider safeguarding system for children. This system is described in the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children, and Keeping Children Safe in Education states that all school staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which pupils can learn.

This 2-hour whole school session has been developed using the 2022 best practice guidance and PACE Code C to clarify the importance of safe practices to protect children, and consider the further implications on staff, school and the education sector.

Available for onsite and virtual delivery.

• Who can search and when?

• Role of the headteacher, DSL and authorised staff

• What statutory prohibited and banned items are?

• Reasonable grounds for conducting a search

• Extent of the search

• What constitutes a strip search and who can carry one out and when

• Guidance to support best practice before, during and after a search

• Screening and confiscation of items including electronic devices

• Recording and informing parents.

• Participation certificate for all attendees

• Information Booklet with links to all resources referred to throughout the training.

To support compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education:

• Delegate online assessment which provides your mechanism to evidence your staff/volunteer understanding of the training content and their safeguarding responsibilities. Individual assessments are collated to provide a management report with RAG review to evidence all delegates understanding and identify any gaps in knowledge or individual concerns.      

£115 +VAT (99 credits for package holders)       

This workshop is ideal as a whole school or setting training module for current and new clients, and is targeted at;

• School staff and volunteers

• Governors, trustees and management committees

• Early years settings

• Registered childcare providers