Best Practice

Safeguarding: Maintaining professional boundaries

Safeguarding
Maintaining personal, professional and protective boundaries is a crucial consideration for those working in our schools. Sarah Morgan offers her guide for teachers and education professionals

Professional boundaries are an essential part of our work as teachers. How we present ourselves, our interaction with others and our general conduct are highly significant when working directly with the pupils in our classroom. Our personal presentation and professional conduct reduces the risk of allegations and keeps pupils safe from harm.

The report, Allegations of Abuse Against Teachers and Non-Teaching Staff (DfE, 2011) presented findings suggesting that the number of allegations made against teachers between April 2009 and March 2010 was 2,827, and that almost a fifth of teachers were suspended while an allegation was investigated. Data is patchy and there is no central mechanism for recording allegations and the outcomes.

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