Safeguarding in school sport: changing rooms, coaches, trips

Sport puts adults and children closer together than a classroom does. Coaches work in changing rooms, cars, hotels and car parks, often out of sight and outside school hours.

Children also trust a good coach deeply. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says coaching with physical contact can give cover to abuse, and that people in authority can misuse their power.

Write the rules before the season starts. Cover five pressure points: changing rooms, coach conduct, touch, travel and overnight stays. Give each one a named owner, such as the sports director, and ask the DSL to review the plan.

Changing rooms and toilets are higher-risk areas, so supervision rules matter most there. Decide who may go in, who waits outside and what happens when a child needs help. Then tell parents.

NSPCC Sport advises that when adults and children must share a changing area, at least two staff of the same sex as the children supervise. Anyone who supervises should be checked as suitable first.

A coach who needs to look in should knock, say who they are and stay at the door. If an adult must go inside, a second adult goes too.

Children can hurt each other here as well. Teach staff to watch for bullying, unwanted touching and secret photos, and use your child-on-child abuse training to prepare them.

• Name the adults who may go in, and why
• Two adults whenever an adult must go inside
• No phones or cameras in changing or shower areas, for anyone
• Plan toilet breaks and the minutes before and after sessions
• At away venues, check who else uses the room and whether it locks
• Talk privately with any family whose child needs different arrangements
• Tell children who to go to if something feels wrong

A popular, successful coach is hard to question. That is why the limits must apply to every adult, including the star coach and the parent volunteer.

NSPCC Sport lists behaviours to watch for: lone contact such as lifts, private messages to athletes, entering changing rooms while children change, and small breaches of the code of conduct. It says to record and deal with lower-level concerns early, because they can grow.

Your low-level concerns policy tells staff where to take these small worries. Hired coaches and outside clubs need the same limits in their contracts, and the guide to private tutors and coaches shows how.

When a rule slips, say so plainly: "That lift was kind, and it breaks our rule. Next time, ask the sports director first."

• No lifts alone with one child
• No private messages; use the official team channel
• No one-to-one sessions out of sight of others
• No gifts or special treats for one child
• No alcohol before or during sessions and trips
• No change of plan without telling the sports director

Sometimes, yes. NSPCC Sport says contact should benefit the child. Fair reasons include correcting technique, treating an injury, preventing an accident, meeting the rules of the sport and comforting a child who is upset.

Coaches ask first, explain why and check how the child feels. A child can say no, and the coach respects it. Touch is never secret, out of sight or near private parts of the body.

Give coaches words to use: "May I move your elbow to show you? You can say no." Most technique can also be taught by showing it on yourself, using video or using equipment.

Gymnastics, swimming and similar sports need their own written touch rules and trained spotters. Parents or carers handle intimate care, and coaches do not. Customs on touch differ between countries, so ask families what they are comfortable with and hold one standard for every adult.

An away fixture is a school trip, so plan it like one. Arrange transport early, tell staff their roles, give parents the details and check that your insurance covers the trip.

Avoid a lone adult driving a lone child. NSPCC Sport advises taking more than one child and changing who is dropped off last. Tell parents who is driving and how long it will take.

If a lone lift cannot be avoided, someone other than the driver checks that the child is comfortable with the plan. Use school buses with a second adult wherever you can. The guide to safeguarding school trips and residentials covers the wider planning.

• Names of every adult travelling, and each adult's role
• Parent consent and an emergency contact for every child
• A second adult on every vehicle
• A plan for late collection and for a child who goes missing
• A check of the changing and toilet arrangements at the venue
• A school phone number that someone answers during the fixture
• A report to the DSL after any incident

Team photos are part of school sport, and they carry risks. NSPCC Sport advises getting parent consent before photographing children under 16, recording it and making it easy to withdraw. Your country may set a different age, so check local law.

Only authorised staff should take photos, on school-owned devices. Avoid naming or tagging children. Ask spectators to photograph only their own child and to keep photos of other children offline.

Coaches contact athletes through the official team channel, with a parent or second adult included. A real photo can also be changed with artificial intelligence, so think twice before posting.

Overnight stays carry more risk, because adults and children share hotels, corridors and free time. NSPCC Sport says they need extra planning for transport, accommodation, emergency procedures and money. The Council of International Schools (CIS) also asks schools to strengthen procedures for trips, homestays and exchange programmes.

Set the sleeping and supervision rules before you book anything. The UK Department for Education (DfE) guidance on educational visits tells schools to take particular care with hotel pools that may have no trained lifeguard.

• Children share rooms with children of the same gender and similar age
• No adult sleeps in a child's room
• Adult rooms are close by, and the adult team includes men and women where possible
• Room checks happen in pairs, at set times, with a knock and a call
• A curfew, and no child leaves the hotel alone
• No alcohol for any adult on duty
• Pools and gyms are used only with a trained lifeguard or supervisor

Follow your school's child protection procedure and tell the DSL the same day. The UK guidance for schools in England, Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE), says concerns about staff go through the same procedure, even when they seem small. If a child is in immediate danger, call local emergency services first.

Write down what you saw or heard, with the time and place. If you are away from school, phone the trip leader and the DSL. Do not question the child beyond what you need to keep them safe, and do not confront the adult yourself.

If a child tells you something, say: "Thank you for telling me. I will pass this to the person who can help." Never promise to keep it secret.

Your country may add legal reporting duties, so ask your DSL or local counsel what applies. Your policy should also name who to tell when the worry is about the DSL or the Head.