how long should childprotection records be kept in school?

[safeguardingrecords]

Does anyone know the recommended guidelines for retaining child protection records in school? In particular if the concerns were proven to be totally unfounded and social services were never involved. Is this something that should only be held for a certain period of time and then destroyed or would it be passed on to future schools?
Many thanks.

marking my place as it would be useful for me to know too.

IME it would stay in the file with a note explaining no evidence and no social services involvement.

Each Local Authority will have their own guidelines but generally all CP concerns are kept and wouldn't be destroyed in case other issues came to light and then it would form part of a chronology. It should be kept in the school though and not passed on. Just as a guideline the authority I work for keeps ALL paperwork until the child is 25 partly as there have been cases of adults later suing authorities for not protecting them.

It would be confidential though, not banded around the staff.

Official guidelines I have no idea - I would guess it depends on the school policy. Once SS are involved it becomes a completely different issue, before SS involvement it is up to the specific school.

In different schools I've been in we've had a central file where all concerns were put, non descript looking books hidden in the teacher's draw and personal files for every child in the school (all in different schools).

I would imagine they aren't kept more than a year after the child has left. From Year 6 experience I would pass on general concerns (X is often late, unwashed, not fed, talks about drugs/sex) but I wouldnt pass on something that had been proven to be untrue as I wouldnt see that it was relevant. This has always been informal passing on to Heads of Year 7 or jotting down on their files that get sent up. It isnt a 'bad parent' report or an 'official' form saying that this child is at risk. Just a general comment which helps the child settle in and be supported.

As a cm (so same rules from OFSTED) we have to keep all paperwork relating to the child for 21 yrs 6 mnths.

Maybe keeping unproven would be a good idea in the case of malicious complaints?

25 years I believe. Although I suspect some schools have records from victorian times.

The safeguarding children in education 2004 and the education act lay out the statutory requirements

Primary ? These are retained while the child is in the school; then transfer to the relevant secondary school.
Secondary ? These are retained until the child is 25 years old and then shredded.

Child Protection information must be copied and sent under separate cover to new
school/college whilst the child is still under 18 (i.e. the information does not need to be sent to a university for example) Where a child is removed from roll to be
educated at home, the file should be copied to the Local Education Authority.

Thanks for this.

Would it be reasonable therefore for me to request that the school file has a note on it stating that the CP concerns were found to be unfounded if this file is going to follow my DS for the next 20 years. Could I ask for it to state that a genuine medical reason was later found for DS's illness and therefore there was nothing to indicate any CP concerns and for medical reports from the NHS to be included.

Would I be allowed to see this file and ensure that this has happened if it was all a mistake??