5 Critical Right to Work Checks in Schools Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Right to work checks in schools are a legal requirement under Home Office Employer Guidance and form part of a school’s wider safeguarding compliance system. Inspectors and auditors often treat right to work evidence as a quick test of whether recruitment processes are robust and consistently applied.

In practice, most schools do complete checks — but weaknesses tend to appear in documentation, method selection, or follow-up tracking. This guide explains how to ensure your right to work checks in schools are compliant, inspection-ready, and clearly recorded within your Single Central Record (SCR).

Table of Contents

• What compliant checks must achieve
• Valid check routes
• Common pitfalls
• How to record on the SCR
• Inspection reality

What compliant right to work checks in schools must achieve

When carried out correctly, right to work checks provide a statutory excuse against civil penalties if you unknowingly employ someone without permission to work. The Home Office outlines this clearly in its civil penalty guidance.

To maintain that protection, schools must:

• Use the correct check route
• Complete the check before employment begins
• Retain compliant evidence
• Conduct follow-up checks where permission is time-limited

Failure in any of these areas can invalidate your statutory excuse.

The 3 valid routes for right to work checks in schools

1) Online right to work check (share code route)

Use this route when the individual has digital immigration status and provides a share code and date of birth. Employers must verify status via the official Home Office online service and retain evidence of the result.

Many schools now use digital right to work checks to ensure evidence is stored securely and automatically linked to the SCR.

2) Manual document check (original documents)

This route requires physically seeing original acceptable documents and recording verification details in line with Home Office requirements. A scanned passport or emailed copy alone does not create a statutory excuse.

Compliance risks around document handling are explored further in our guide to digital identity and right to work checks.

3) Digital Identity Verification (IDVT via an IDSP)

Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) may be used for certain British and Irish passport holders via certified Identity Service Providers (IDSPs). Schools must ensure they are using an approved route and retaining verification evidence correctly.

See our overview of digital identity checks for schools for compliance considerations.

5 Common right to work checks in schools pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Relying on a photo or scan

A photo on a phone or emailed scan is not automatically a compliant check. Schools must follow one of the three authorised routes and retain compliant evidence.

Fix: Record the method used (Manual / Online / IDVT) clearly within the SCR.

Pitfall 2: Incorrect use of the online checking service

Online checks require the correct share code and date of birth. Schools must retain evidence of the official result page.

Fix: Record:

• Check date
• Checker initials
• Time-limit expiry (if applicable)

Pitfall 3: Missing follow-up checks

If permission to work is time-limited, a follow-up check must be completed before expiry to maintain your statutory excuse.

Regular monitoring is easier when schools conduct routine SCR audits.

Fix: Add a dedicated “RTW follow-up due date” column to your SCR and review it monthly.

Pitfall 4: Assuming agency staff are fully covered

Agencies typically complete checks, but schools must retain clear written assurance and ensure safeguarding systems cover all adults working with children — particularly in multi-academy trusts.

Fix: Standardise how third-party assurances are documented and stored.

Pitfall 5: Vague SCR entries

Entries such as “RTW = Yes” provide limited assurance during inspection sampling.

Fix: Structure SCR entries in line with broader Single Central Record compliance principles.

How to record right to work checks in schools on the SCR

Best-practice SCR columns include:

• RTW check date
• Checked by
• Evidence location
• Time-limited?
• Permission expiry date
• Follow-up due date

This structured approach supports inspection readiness under Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework.

Inspection reality: why right to work checks in schools matter

Safeguarding is a limiting judgement. During inspection sampling, inconsistent right to work documentation can raise wider concerns about recruitment oversight and compliance culture.

Strong processes, clear evidence, and systematic SCR recording reduce risk and demonstrate leadership accountability.