Safeguarding children

Keeping children safe is our highest priority. Our approach is designed to exceed the DfE guidance as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education. You can rest assured that all staff who arrive at your school have been subjected to a rigorous vetting and screening process.

Industry-leading vetting

We complete these checks on every candidate as part of our on-boarding process:

• An Enhanced DBS check with Child Barred List check from the last 12 months or registered to the Online Update Service
• Photographic proof of identity
• Right to work check
• Address Verification
• Proof of qualifications
• Teaching Regulation Agency, formerly NCTL, teacher status check including checking for any sanctions
• 2 work references
• Medical declaration certifying fitness to work in a school
• Disqualification declaration certifying that they have never been disqualified from working with children
• Overseas criminal checks, where they apply
• Validation of identity documents including verifying ownership
• An assessment of professional expertise by our experienced team, see below

You'll receive all relevant vetting information by email, such as DBS number and the checks we've performed, along with a photo of the teacher as soon as a booking is confirmed.

Interview screening by teachers

All our candidates are required to pass a 45 minute interview about their professional experience and expertise by our team of former and active teachers.

The interview and screening process was designed and is advised by Charlie Taylor, a headteacher and former chief executive of the National College for Teaching & Learning. We continually update and refine our process based on feedback from candidates placed in schools to keep it as effective as possible. The rigour of our process means we reject a lot of candidates so you can be confident that staff we send to your school are of the highest quality.

Safeguarding training

All candidates must complete safeguarding training before they work in schools, either through Zen's free online course or through a recognised provider.