Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many referrals were made to the Teaching Regulation Agency relating to safeguarding concerns involving teachers in each year since 2017; and how many of those referrals followed the use of a settlement agreement.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) considers allegations of serious misconduct by individuals undertaking teaching work, in accordance with The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012. Upholding teaching standards and safeguarding children and young people within regulated establishments are core principles of TRA’s work and referrals made to TRA may have safeguarding implications.

TRA does not record the behaviour type of referrals received, unless it progresses to a formal investigation. The number of referrals received by TRA in each financial year since 2017/18 is set out in the table below:

TRA does not collect data on settlement agreements that may have been reached between teachers and their employing establishments. The department is therefore unable to determine how many referrals to the TRA followed the use of a settlement agreement.