The Department for Education and Skills drew up the measures for making schools safer in response to Sir Michael Bichard's report on the Soham murders. They stress the importance of safeguarding children when appointing staff.
Interviews should go further than assessing candidates' suitability for roles and "explore the candidate's attitude toward children", the guidelines say.
They should find out the person's "ability to support the authority's or establishment's agenda for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children", said Safeguarding Children: Safer Recruitment and Selection in Education Settings. Schools should also use the interview to probe gaps in employment history and outline concerns about information provided by the candidate.
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