Checking references for a supply teacher isn't the same as a standard employment reference check. The regulatory context is different, the people you're contacting are different, and because you're placing someone with access to children, the stakes are higher.
After seven years running an education recruitment agency, we'd seen every variation of how this process could go well, and a lot of ways it could go badly. Here's how to do it properly.
Why teacher references are different
Most reference checks verify employment history and professional fit. Teacher reference checks do that too, but they also have to verify something else: that this person is suitable to work with children.
That's not a soft distinction. It's the requirement at the heart of Keeping Children Safe in Education, the statutory guidance that governs how schools and the agencies that supply them approach safer recruitment. A reference for a teacher or supply candidate has to specifically address suitability for work with children, not just confirm dates and job title.
If your reference process doesn't meet that standard, you're not just being inefficient. You have a compliance gap.
There's more detail on the specific KCSiE requirements in our guide to what KCSiE says about references, but this article covers the practical process from start to finish.
Step 1: Get the contact details right before you send anything
The most common reason teacher references take two weeks is that the request went to someone who no longer works there, or to a shared inbox that nobody monitors.
Schools restructure. Headteachers move on. The contact your candidate gave you might have been accurate 18 months ago and be completely wrong now.
Before you send any request:
- Check the school's website for the current headteacher or line manager name
- If the referee is at an agency the candidate previously worked through, confirm the contact is still employed there
- If there's any doubt, call the school reception and ask who the right person is
Two minutes of verification here saves days of chasing later.
For supply candidates specifically, the relevant referee is usually from their most recent school or agency placement. If they've been working through another supply agency, that agency is often the most practical referee, and they'll understand the process because they're in the same sector.
Step 2: Use a structured form, not a blank email
"Could you please provide a reference for [candidate name]?" produces inconsistent responses. A form designed around what you actually need produces consistent ones.
A compliant reference for an education placement needs to cover:
- Dates of employment and the role held
- Whether the candidate is suitable to work with children
- Whether there are any concerns about the candidate's conduct with children
- Whether there were any formal disciplinary proceedings, particularly related to safeguarding
- Reason for leaving (if applicable)
A blank email rarely covers all of this without prompting. A structured form does, every time, and it makes things easier for the referee too. They fill in fields rather than composing something from scratch and wondering whether they've covered everything.
If you're still using a free-text email template, switching to a form is probably the single best improvement you can make to your reference process. It improves compliance and response speed at the same time.
Step 3: Send promptly and set expectations clearly
The request should go out as early in the process as possible. KCSiE's guidance is that references should ideally be obtained before interview, so any issues can be explored at that stage. In practice, interview timelines don't usually allow for this, but the principle matters. References aren't a final formality. They're part of the assessment.
Each request should be specific about what you're asking for and when you need it back. A general "character endorsement" isn't what you're after. You need answers to the safeguarding questions, and the referee needs to know this is a compliance requirement rather than just a procedural box.
Giving a deadline isn't pressuring the referee. It gives them the context to prioritise appropriately. "At your earliest convenience" isn't a deadline. "We need this by Friday to proceed with the placement on Monday" is.
Step 4: Follow up on a system, not on memory
Most agencies follow up when someone on the team happens to remember. That means some candidates get chased once, some three times, and some not at all, depending on how busy the week is.
A consistent process outperforms memory every time. Follow up at fixed intervals: if there's no response within 48-72 hours, send a brief chase. If there's still nothing after another few days, a phone call to the school reception often moves things faster than a second email ever will.
There's a longer guide to the mechanics of this in our reference chasing article, but the key point is that the chasing needs to be built into a process, not left to whoever happens to notice.
Step 5: Read the response, don't just file it
This is the step agencies most often skip.
KCSiE says that references must be scrutinised, not just received. Someone needs to read the response and consider whether anything in it raises concerns or requires follow-up. If a referee has flagged something ambiguous, or if the response is unusually brief, that needs to be explored, not filed with a note that the reference came back.
Document that this review happened. If Ofsted or an ESA audit pulls a candidate file, they want to see evidence of a proper process, not just a scan of the reference sitting in the folder.
Step 6: Keep a complete record
Every step in this process needs to be documented. The date the request was sent, who it went to, when it came back, who reviewed it, and any follow-up.
This matters for two reasons. First, if something goes wrong, you need to be able to demonstrate you followed the right process. Second, if a candidate comes back to you for a second placement, you need to know whether their reference is still current or whether it needs refreshing.
"We got a reference for them last time" isn't enough. References are time-sensitive. One from a placement two years ago may not be adequate for a new appointment, particularly if there's been a gap in employment.
When the referee doesn't respond
The most common scenario is a referee who simply doesn't respond. Usually this isn't deliberate. The email got buried. They intended to deal with it. They're in the middle of a difficult week.
A few things that actually help:
Keep the form short. A referee who has to read four paragraphs of instructions before filling in six open-ended questions will find reasons to defer it. Make it as easy as possible to complete in under ten minutes.
Call rather than emailing again. A brief call to the school admin team often moves things faster than a second email. You're asking a favour of someone who doesn't work for you. A human voice helps.
Chase at the right time. Mid-morning or just after lunch is when school staff are most likely to be accessible. First thing in the morning or last thing on a Friday are the least effective times.
What this looks like when it works
Teacher reference checks are more than a compliance box to tick. Schools can tell which agencies have this dialled in. The ones they prefer working with get references back quickly, have clean documentation, and don't need to delay a placement because something was missed.
If your team is spending more than a few hours a week managing this process manually, that's worth looking at. PassQ automates the sending, chasing, and tracking so your consultants can focus on the work that actually needs them.
Want to see PassQ in action?
Try 5 references free. We'll set you up in a 20-minute call.
Try 5 references free