Is a paper folder still acceptable?

Many schools keep both — a secure digital folder for ease of access and a small paper folder for items signed in person. Whichever format you use, it must be locked, restricted, and backed up.

How long should we keep incident records?

Generally until the child's 25th birthday, longer for serious cases. Always follow your local safeguarding partnership and information governance guidance.

Who can see the folder?

DSL, deputy DSLs, headteacher, and the link governor for safeguarding. Wider access should only be granted with a clear reason in writing.

For DSLs

Safeguarding Evidence Folder: What to Keep

What to store and how to organise it: training logs, policy reviews, filtering reviews, incident trends, governor minutes, parent communications, and pupil voice.

Overview

When Ofsted, the local authority, or the governing body asks for evidence of effective safeguarding, the DSL should be able to produce it in minutes, not hours. This entry sets out a structure that keeps the evidence folder current without becoming a burden. Storage must be secure, with restricted access in line with data protection rules.

Key points

Evidence is not just policies — it is what shows the policies are lived.
Keep dated, signed versions of policies, not just the latest copy.
Training logs should show date, attendees, content, and impact.
Filtering and monitoring reviews need their own subfolder.
Trend data (anonymised incident numbers and themes) is powerful evidence.
Pupil voice and parent feedback close the loop on culture.

Practical steps

Step 1

Create the folder structure in your secure school system (not a personal drive).

Step 2

Diary a 30-minute monthly check to file the term's evidence as you go.

Step 3

At the end of each term, summarise themes in one paragraph at the top of each subfolder.

Step 4

Audit the folder annually with the link governor present.

Step 5

Restrict access to DSL, deputies, headteacher, and link governor only.

Step 6

Keep records in line with your local authority's retention schedule.

Checklist

Tick boxes are for on-screen working only — they do not save between visits. Use the checklist as a prompt and capture outcomes in your school's safeguarding system.

Policies subfolder (current and previous year, signed, dated)Green
Training subfolder (logs, attendance, content outlines)Green
Filtering and monitoring subfolder (annual reviews, alert summaries)Amber
Incident trends subfolder (anonymised, termly summaries)Amber
Governor minutes subfolder (safeguarding items extracted)Amber
Parent communications subfolder (newsletters, event notes)Amber
Pupil voice subfolder (survey results, pupil parliament notes)Amber
Access restricted to DSL team, head, and link governorGreen

What not to do

Do not store safeguarding evidence in personal cloud accounts.
Do not include identifying details about children in trend reports.
Do not let the folder become a graveyard of out-of-date policies.

Frequently Asked Questions

External sources

Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 — Department for Education
Inspecting safeguarding — Ofsted
Data protection in schools — Information Commissioner's Office

Last reviewed: 2026-05-20Next review: 2026-08-20Reviewed against: KCSIE 2025

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.