Parent to school

Letter to school disclosing a safeguarding concern

A calm, formal letter to your child's school disclosing a safeguarding or online-safety concern and asking for it to be recorded and acted on.

When to use this template

Use to put a concern in writing to your child's school — for the record and to trigger the school's safeguarding process — when a conversation alone isn't enough or you want a documented trail.

Tone guidance

Calm, formal, and specific. State clearly that you want it recorded.
Ask for written confirmation, a named contact, and a timescale.
Separate fact from what your child has reported.

Template

Dear [NAME or "Designated Safeguarding Lead"],

I am writing to formally raise a safeguarding concern about my child, [CHILD'S NAME] in [CLASS/YEAR], and to ask that it is recorded.

The concern: [FACTUAL SUMMARY]
When/where: [DATE(S), PLATFORM/LOCATION]

I would be grateful if the school could: [WHAT YOU WANT] — and confirm in writing that this has been recorded, who is dealing with it, and when I can expect an update.

I have kept relevant evidence and can share it securely. Please let me know the best way to do so.

Thank you for taking this seriously.

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

Fields to replace

Before sending, swap every bracketed placeholder for your own details. If a field does not apply, delete the whole line.

Headteacher / DSL name[NAME or "Designated Safeguarding Lead"]
Your child's name and class[CHILD'S NAME, CLASS/YEAR]
The concern[FACTUAL SUMMARY]
When and where[DATE(S), PLATFORM/LOCATION]
What you are asking the school to do[WHAT YOU WANT]
Your name and contact details[YOUR NAME / PHONE / EMAIL]

What to attach

A dated timeline and any screenshots.
Notes of any previous conversations with the school on this.

What not to include

Other children's full names in the letter body where avoidable — offer to share separately.
Threats of legal action or publicity.
Any indecent image of a child — report those to the police and IWF instead.

Reporting: school safeguarding concern Reporting: reporting to school template

Last reviewed: 2026-07-13Next review: 2026-10-13Reviewed against: UK safeguarding practice

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.