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 templateUse 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

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

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.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-13Next review: 2026-10-13

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.