Follow-up email after a safeguarding report

Polite follow-up when you have not had a substantive reply to an earlier safeguarding email.

When to use this templateUse when you have not received a response, or only a holding response, to a previous safeguarding concern within a reasonable time.

Tone guidance

Reasonable, not aggrieved. The aim is to move things along, not to start a fight.
Refer back to the previous email by date so it can be located easily.
Acknowledge that staff are busy — it lowers temperature without giving up your ask.
Be specific about what you want: a name, steps taken, a date.

Template

Subject: [SUBJECT LINE]

Dear [ORIGINAL RECIPIENT],

I am following up on my email of [DATE OF PREVIOUS EMAIL] about [BRIEF SUMMARY].

So far I have heard: [WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD]

I appreciate that staff are busy, and I want to keep this matter moving without escalating it unnecessarily. I would be grateful if you could let me know:
- Who is currently leading on this.
- What steps have been taken since my last email.
- When I can expect an update.

If I have written to the wrong person, please could you point me to the right contact (for example the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Head of Year, or Deputy Head).

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR PHONE / EMAIL]

Fields to replace

[SUBJECT LINE] — Subject line · Reference the original email, e.g. "Follow-up: online safety concern (24 May)."
[ORIGINAL RECIPIENT] — Recipient
[DATE OF PREVIOUS EMAIL] — Date of previous email
[BRIEF SUMMARY] — Brief summary of the concern
[WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD] — What you have heard so far
[WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE] — What you would like
[YOUR NAME] — Your name
[YOUR PHONE / EMAIL] — Contact details

What to attach

•Quote your previous email at the bottom for context.
•Any new information that has come up since.

What not to include

Threats of complaints to Ofsted or the local authority unless you are actually ready to make one.
Long emotional restatements of the original concern.
Sarcasm or implications of incompetence.

Sources

Keeping Children Safe in Education — UK Department for Education

Last reviewed: 2026-05-20Next review: 2026-08-20

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.