Wednesday. 8:52am.
St. Catherine's Secondary School, Leeds.
Registration just finished. 28 students left. One didn't.
Based on Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 (KCSiE) · Part 1 — All Staff
Estimated time: 15–20 minutes
You are Mr Davies, Year 9 Form Tutor at St. Catherine's Secondary School. You've been teaching for six years. Your students trust you.
Form registration just finished. 28 students charged out towards Period 1. The corridor echoes with slamming lockers and shouting.
You're about to lock up and head to the staffroom when you notice someone hasn't left.
Maya Harrison, Year 9, is still here. Arms crossed tight, staring at the floor near your desk. Her blazer sleeves are pulled down over her hands.
You've taught Maya for two terms. Usually quiet but engaged. Lately, more withdrawn. Two weeks ago she flinched when another student touched her shoulder. You made a mental note but didn't follow up.
⏰ Period 1 starts in
Maya hasn't said anything yet. She's standing near your desk, looking at the floor. You have a few seconds before you need to respond. The small things you do right now will shape whether she opens up or walks away.
The environment you create before a child speaks matters as much as what you say after. Privacy, body language, and removing distractions signal that you're safe to talk to. KCSiE doesn't prescribe these — but experienced safeguarding professionals know they're essential.
⚠️ Direct disclosure of physical abuse. How do you respond?
You've done exactly what KCSiE requires:
You did NOT promise confidentiality, did NOT question whether it happened, and did NOT investigate.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 15, 16
You're trapped. You have a statutory duty to refer this to the DSL. But Maya thinks you've promised secrecy. When she finds out you told someone, the betrayal could make her refuse to disclose again — to anyone.
Promising confidentiality feels kind. But it creates a barrier to the child getting help and puts you in direct breach of your statutory duty.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 15
By questioning the disclosure, you've communicated doubt. Maya took an enormous risk telling you. She now believes she's not believed. She may not try again. You still have a duty to report to the DSL — but the damage to Maya's trust is done.
Staff are not investigators. Your role is to listen, reassure, and report — not to verify or probe.
Maya is sitting quietly. She's scared, but she trusts you. You need to act on that trust — fast. Maya thinks you've promised to keep her secret. She's calm — but you know you can't keep that promise. You need to find the DSL without Maya realising you're about to break your word. Maya walked out. She's somewhere in the school. You still have a duty to act on what she told you — even though you handled the disclosure badly. The clock is ticking.
Maya is looking at you. She told you the hardest thing she's ever said, and you didn't flinch. Now she needs to know what happens next. Choose your words carefully. Maya is looking at you expectantly. She thinks this is over — that you'll keep her secret. But you need to prepare her for the fact that you're about to break your promise. How you frame this will determine whether she cooperates or shuts down completely. Maya is gone. But you still need to report to the DSL. This section now focuses on what you tell Mrs Patterson's office when you get there.
What do you say first?
What do you say next?
One last thing before you go:
The way you speak to a child during a disclosure matters as much as the actions you take. KCSiE requires staff to reassure children that they are being taken seriously, will be supported, and did the right thing. Your tone shapes whether Maya cooperates with professionals or shuts down entirely.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 15Mrs Patterson's office is ahead. Where do you go?
🔒 Locked. Where do you go instead?
Mr Okonkwo takes immediate action. Maya is seen by a trained professional within the hour. Mr Okonkwo takes over, but he'll need to rebuild the trust you damaged by making a promise you couldn't keep. Maya may refuse to speak to him. Mr Okonkwo has to find Maya first. She's somewhere in the school, alone, after being questioned about the most difficult thing she's ever said. The process is already compromised.
1. Deputy DSL → 2. Senior Leadership Team → 3. Children's Social Care directly
You slide a note under the door and walk back to your classroom. Maya goes to her lessons. The day continues as normal.
That evening, Maya goes home. To the same house. To the same person. Nothing has changed. No professional has been informed. If something happens tonight, the note under Mrs Patterson's door will not have protected her.
Every hour of delay is an hour Maya remains at risk.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 50, 51, 53
You call Maya's mum. She says: "I don't know what she's told you, but it's not like that. She exaggerates."
That evening, Maya's stepdad confronts her. He knows she's been talking. She told someone, and now that someone told her mum, and her mum told him. Maya's safety net just collapsed — and you pulled the thread.
Contacting the family before informing the DSL could put Maya at greater risk. The decision about parental contact must be made by the DSL, who will take advice from Children's Social Care.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 51, 53, 55Mr Okonkwo has asked you to complete a safeguarding concern form. The record you write could be used by Children's Social Care, the police, or in court. Put the steps in the correct order.
Drag (or use arrows) to arrange the safeguarding recording steps in the correct order, from first to last.
The correct order ensures the record is accurate, contemporaneous, and usable by investigating agencies. Recording exact words (not summaries) preserves evidence. Noting time of disclosure (not time of writing) establishes the timeline. Facts and observations only — never opinions.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 66Mr Okonkwo has drafted a safeguarding referral. Read each section and decide: does it contain an error, or is it correct?
There are 3 errors hidden in 5 sections.
A safeguarding record must contain: exact date and time of disclosure, the child's verbatim words (not a summary), factual observations only (no opinions or judgements), and actions taken. Errors in a safeguarding record can compromise investigations and court proceedings.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 66
Safeguarding information should only be shared with those who need it to safeguard the child. Casual sharing risks the information reaching the family or wider community.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 78, 79
By the end of the day, two other teachers have heard. By Thursday lunchtime, Maya knows the whole school is talking about her. She didn't want that. She told you. She'll never tell anyone anything again.
You shared a child's disclosure with someone with no operational need to know. This breaches confidentiality and could compromise the investigation.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 78, 79
You haven't shared specifics. But by signalling distress, you've invited curiosity. Even vague references can lead to identification. If you need emotional support, speak to the DSL or use the school's staff wellbeing service.
Your feelings are valid. But the staffroom is not the place to process them. Even vague references can lead to speculation.
KCSiE 2025 — PARA 78For each statement: is it FACT or MYTH? Then rate your confidence.
Your confidence rating won't affect your score — but it will reveal how well-calibrated your knowledge really is.
⚠ answer(s) you were confident about turned out to be wrong. This is the most dangerous pattern in safeguarding — acting with certainty on incorrect knowledge.
Your knowledge and your confidence are well calibrated. You know what you know — and you know what you don't.
BEFORE SHE SPEAKS: ENVIRONMENT
DECISION 1: THE DISCLOSURE
FACE-TO-FACE: YOUR WORDS
CORRIDOR: WHERE DID YOU GO?
ACTIVITY: RECORDING ORDER
DOCUMENT REVIEW: SPOT THE ERRORS
STAFF CHAT: WHAT DID YOU SHARE?
MYTH OR FACT: KNOWLEDGE CHECK
WHAT HAPPENED TO MAYA
Maya disclosed to you and you responded well. She felt heard.
Maya disclosed to you, but you promised confidentiality. When she later found out you'd told Mr Okonkwo, she felt betrayed. It took two more conversations before she was willing to speak to a social worker.
Maya tried to disclose, but you questioned whether she was telling the truth. She walked out. Mr Okonkwo had to find her and start the conversation from scratch — without the trust you could have built.
You found Mr Okonkwo immediately. He contacted Children's Social Care that morning.
You left a note and went back to your class. Maya went home that evening to the same house, the same person. Nothing happened until the next day.
You called Maya's mum. Her stepdad found out she'd spoken to someone. By the time professionals were involved, Maya had retracted everything.
Information was shared on a need-to-know basis. Maya's privacy was protected. The investigation proceeded without interference.
You shared Maya's disclosure in the staffroom. By Thursday, half the staff knew. Maya heard her name in the corridor. She stopped coming to school.
You didn't name Maya, but your visible distress made colleagues curious. One of them worked it out. The information spread.
KEY PRINCIPLES — KCSiE 2025
Developed in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 · Part 1 All Staff
Children Act 1989 (s.17, s.47) · Education Act 2002 (s.175) · KCSiE 2025 Paras 12–16, 50–53, 66, 78–79
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