New research has revealed a shift in how schools approach safeguarding, with many moving beyond compliance-driven models towards a more culture-led, preventative approach.
The research, released during Safeguarding Awareness Week and organised annually by Tes, surveyed teachers across the sector. It found that most schools now see safeguarding as embedded within whole-school culture rather than a standalone responsibility.
Over three in five schools (61%) place themselves at a culture-led or proactive stage of safeguarding maturity, while only 13% remain focused primarily on compliance or procedures. This reflects a clear mindset shift, positioning safeguarding as a shared responsibility across all staff.
However, while awareness and confidence are high, consistency remains a challenge. The vast majority of staff report confidence in recognising (91%) and reporting (88%) safeguarding concerns. Yet only 77% say safeguarding practices are applied consistently across teams, highlighting a gap between knowledge and day-to-day implementation.
Schools are increasingly using data to move towards earlier intervention. Nearly four in five (78%) say safeguarding data helps them identify patterns or risks, while 61% believe better analytical tools would enable earlier action. This points to a growing recognition that insight-driven safeguarding is key to prevention, rather than simply recording incidents.
Progress, however, is being constrained by capacity pressures. Over half of respondents (51%) cite workload as a major barrier, alongside rising mental health and wellbeing needs (47%). More than a third (38%) say safeguarding leads require additional time and capacity, suggesting that while ambition is high, resources are stretched.
Claire McKendrick, Director of Safeguarding and Data Protection at Transform Trust, commented: “This year’s research shows that safeguarding practice in schools is becoming increasingly integrated. Schools are combining insight from attendance, behaviour and wellbeing data to build a fuller picture which enables them to act earlier and more effectively. This is a positive step forward. We must now seize the opportunity to build on that progress by ensuring staff have dedicated time, along with effective training and structures in place to apply this consistently. With the right support embedded, we can provide a clearly defined pathway where preventative safeguarding becomes a sustainable and consistent daily practice in every school.”
Lauren Ainscough, Tes Safeguarding Training SME at Tes, added: “Safeguarding in schools is clearly evolving from a compliance-driven requirement to a more culture-led approach, with more schools using insight to identify risks and intervene earlier. While staff confidence is high, ensuring consistent practice across teams remains a key challenge. What’s holding schools back isn’t intent, but capacity – with workload and limited leadership time making it harder to fully embed preventative safeguarding. There is a clear call from schools for more structured training and better analytical tools to sustain progress and support earlier intervention.”
The load on safeguarding leaders is emerging as a significant strategic risk. More than half (55%) of Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) describe their workload as challenging or unsustainable, and 56% report lacking protected time for strategic safeguarding work. Only 30% receive regular structured supervision, limiting their ability to move from reactive to preventative models at scale.
The research also highlights strong demand for greater system-wide support. A large majority of respondents back clearer and more consistent standards, with 85% supporting standardised safeguarding training requirements for leads and 80% calling for stronger national or regional standards. Over half (57%) say their school would likely sign up to a Global Safeguarding Charter, indicating appetite for broader reform.
