Crime checks fear for schools

A new system of checks was introduced in March

Schools are worried that delays in criminal record checks on teachers will cause disruption next term.

The Professional Association of Teachers, meeting for its annual conference in Telford, is concerned that checks will not be completed on staff due to start work in the autumn.

It estimates that there could be a backlog of more than 60,000 teachers waiting to be cleared.

Geraldine Everett told the conference that this could even mean day nurseries facing closure, because the staff they needed were not cleared to start work.

And she warned of the financial loss to teachers who were not working while they waited to have their criminal records check completed.

Complaints

"An additional worry is that if this situation is not resolved, nurseries and schools may be forced to compromise their own quality standards by employing staff who are not cleared."

There have been complaints about the delays in criminal record checks since a new system was introduced in March.

The Criminal Records Bureau had promised that 90% of checks would be processed in three weeks - but there have been reports from supply agencies of checks taking more than two months.

In response, the government returned to a faster system in which supply agencies can check staff against the "List 99" of people considered to be unsuitable for working with children.

This is designed to prevent child abusers, or suspected abusers, from working in schools and nurseries.

But checks for criminal records take longer - and schools are worried that this could exacerbate the problem of staff shortages.

Home Office minister Hilary Benn has already apologised to MPs for the performance of the Criminal Records Bureau, which carries out the checks.