How do I apply for Section 128 Checks?

Section 128 Checks for School Governors

Fast turnaround and accurate results

First class service and support

What is a Section 128 Check?

A Section 128 Check confirms if a person has been prohibited or restricted from the management and governance of an independent school, including academies and free schools. It’s intended to give the recruitment process a full picture of a person’s suitability.

These checks look at parts of a person’s history that might not be criminal but still wouldn’t be suitable to a management role in education. For example, an accountant who breached their professional body’s code of ethics might not have committed a crime but shouldn’t be trusted to oversee your school’s accounts.

This can also include (but isn’t limited to) conviction of an offence under military disciplinary proceedings and being found not guilty of an offence by reason of insanity. It also includes conduct that undermines the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance of those with different faiths.

Anyone who has been issued with a ‘Section 128 Direction’ can’t be involved in the management or governance of a school. It prohibits them from being a governor, member, trustee or in a management position.

Eligibility for Section 128 Checks

Section 128 Checks must be carried out on governors from independent schools, including academies and free schools, as outlined in the Keeping Children Safe in Education Act.

Academies are required to carry out Section 128 Checks for:

Trust members and trustees
Governors who sit on committees or boards with delegated responsibilities
Staff in management positions, such as headteachers, teachers on senior leadership teams or teachers that head departments

This type of check is only available for those roles involved in the management of a school and can’t be applied to all roles within the education environment.

Benefits of Section 128 Checks with us

Carrying out employment screening is important for safeguarding. We help you save time, money and resources. You’ll also enjoy a range of other benefits:

Safety
Make safer recruitment decisions and vet staff to a higher standards.

Trust
Build trust in your organisation and amongst your community.

Reassurance
Receive accurate reports and have peace of mind in your recruitment decisions.

Efficiency
Meet your resource demands with our fast-track vetting system.

Retention
Increase staff retention by appointing the right people in the right places.

Compliance
Receive advice to perform the right level of check and meet industry standards.

Our process

Our process is accessible and straightforward thanks to our bespoke system. As an Umbrella Body of the DBS, we provide a reliable and efficient service that can be tailored to your needs.

We go above and beyond to provide first-class customer care, and one-to-one expert advice is available every step of the way from our dedicated and accredited team.

Easy and free registration

You can set up an account in a matter of minutes, submit applications on our user-friendly portal and manage checks on your dashboard.

Applying for checks

To ensure efficiency, our team will use their expertise to check your applications. We will make sure the information is accurate and valid.

Receive your results

You will be notified when the results are ready. Our fast turnaround provides confirmation of your checks and peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

After taking a few minutes to complete our free registration, you will have access to your own secure portal. You must have consent from applicants before requesting Section 128 Checks. Use your dashboard to progress checks and see the status of ongoing checks. A Section 128 Check can be done via an Enhanced DBS Check as part of checking the barred lists. This is suited to those working in regulated activity. To do this, you must include ‘Child Workforce Independent School’ in the ‘Position applied for’ field of the application form.