Staff code of conduct: what to say on professional boundaries

Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) 2026 is the statutory guidance for schools in England. It says a staff behaviour policy, sometimes called a code of conduct, should cover low-level concerns, allegations against staff and whistleblowing. It also names technology use, staff and pupil relationships, and communication through social media.

KCSIE binds schools in England, but its list works as a checklist anywhere. KCSIE for international schools explains which parts travel well. Your host country, regulator or accreditor may add rules, so ask local counsel what applies.

Boundaries get tested in five places: one-to-one time, touch, gifts, transport and online contact. Give each one a short rule that a new teaching assistant can follow.

Time alone with a child carries risk for the child, and for an adult who may be misunderstood. The code should say when it is allowed and how to keep it open.

The Safer Recruitment Consortium guidance says to work one to one only when necessary, with the knowledge and consent of senior leaders and parents. It asks for visual access or an open door. It advises against "engaged" signs, because they can create room for secrecy.

• Meet a student alone only when needed, and with your manager's knowledge.
• Keep the door open or the glass clear. Do not hang an engaged sign.
• Never arrange to meet a student away from school without approval from a senior leader and the parents.
• Online one-to-one lessons use school platforms, with rules agreed in advance.
• Report any session where a student becomes upset or angry.

Some touch is part of the job. Staff comfort a hurt child, give first aid, coach in PE, music or drama, and support children with care plans.

Touch is where culture differs most. The Safer Recruitment Consortium guidance asks staff to seek the child's permission first where possible, and to respect cultural and religious views about touch.

Local law on physical punishment varies by country. Your code can set a stricter rule than the law, and restraint needs its own policy and training.

• Touch a child only in response to their need, for the shortest time, in view of others and never in secret.
• Ask first, say what you are about to do, and stop if the child pulls away.
• Tell a colleague when and how you comforted a distressed child.
• Never touch in a way that could be seen as indecent. Never join in horseplay or play fights.

The Safer Recruitment Consortium guidance says small tokens of thanks, such as a card at the end of term, are usually fine. Regular gifts, or gifts of real value, are not. Giving personal gifts to students is also unwise, because it can look like a bribe or like grooming.

Gift customs differ, and in some countries families give teachers a present at festivals or at year end. Respect that custom, set a value limit in local currency, and ask staff to declare anything above it.

KCSIE lists having favourites as an example of a low-level concern. Choose students for trips, roles and extra help using clear criteria, agreed by more than one adult.

A car puts one adult and one child in a small space, out of sight. The code should say who may drive students and how every drive is recorded.

The Safer Recruitment Consortium guidance advises against private vehicles where possible and suggests a second adult as an escort. Staff should not offer lifts outside their normal duties, except in an emergency or where not helping would put the child at risk. Those lifts should be recorded and reported to the manager and parents.

Contracted bus companies need the same rules. Hold their drivers and escorts to the same checks, as the guide to safeguarding on school transport explains.

• No lifts for students in a private car, except in an emergency.
• Record every emergency lift: who, when, where and why. Tell your manager and the parents the same day.
• Drivers and escorts sign the code before they start work.

Online contact can move a relationship out of sight of colleagues and parents, especially through private messages.

The Safer Recruitment Consortium guidance asks staff not to give children personal contact details and not to contact them outside their work. If a child finds an adult's details and writes, the adult should not reply and should tell their manager.

KCSIE also lists taking photos of children on a personal phone, against school policy, as a low-level concern. The guide to teacher-student messaging and online boundaries goes further.

• Staff contact students only through school email and school platforms.
• Staff never share personal numbers or social media handles with students.
• Staff do not follow, or accept requests from, current students on personal accounts.
• Photos and video of students are taken on school devices only.
• Class chat groups run on school accounts, with two staff in each group.

Boundaries come up fast, so staff need words ready. Put sample lines in your code or in induction.

Keep each line short and kind. Where you can, point to the school rule so the other person does not feel judged.

• To a student who asks for your number: "I can't give that out, but you can always email me through the school."
• To a parent who offers a large gift: "That is very kind. School rules mean I can't accept it, but a note would mean a lot."
• To a student who needs a lift: "I can't drive you, but let's call your parents together."
• To a student who wants a hug: "Thanks, let's do a high five instead."
• To a colleague in a closed room: "Can we open the door, or move to the room with the glass?"
• To your manager, after something that could be misread: "Something happened today that I want on record."

A code works only when staff have read it, understood it and seen it used. Give it to every adult at induction, including contractors, volunteers and bus staff, and ask them to sign it. It applies to the Head and the owners too.

Then practise it. Pick one boundary each term and talk through two scenarios from your own campus in a staff meeting.

Review the code every year with the DSL, the Head and staff from different roles. Ask which rule is unclear and which rule nobody can follow.

Write down what you saw or heard, in plain words, the same day. Follow your school's child protection procedure and tell the DSL the same day. Do not investigate or confront the colleague yourself.

A small slip, such as a door closed once or a photo on a personal phone, is a low-level concern. The low-level concerns policy explains how to record it. Anything that suggests a child may be harmed goes straight to the DSL and the Head.

If a child is in immediate danger, call local emergency services first, then tell the DSL. Your country may add legal reporting duties, so ask local counsel what applies.

Name who staff tell when the concern is about the Head, such as the chair of governors. Encourage staff to report their own slips, as KCSIE asks.