“CRB check for schools” is legacy wording for a present-day DBS process. A school should translate old forms and policies into the current check level, workforce and application route before recruiting a tutor.
The term CRB still appears in everyday questions, but CRB was replaced by DBS, so modern guidance normally appears under DBS wording. For tutors, the real issue is matching the check route to how the tutoring work happens in practice: directly with families, through a school, through an agency, or as a self-employed person.
Ready to check a school or teaching role?
Confirm the duties, workforce and eligible route before applying.
Quick takeaways
- The right route depends on how the tutoring or teaching work is arranged.
- Eligibility matters more than assumptions.
- Self-employed tutors now have a newer umbrella-body route where eligible.
- Parents, schools and agencies may still ask to inspect the original certificate.
How school safeguarding changes the answer
Schools and teaching roles sit inside a safer-recruitment context where the level of check matters and child-workforce considerations are central. That is why school-related searches often point towards Enhanced-level discussions.
Even so, the exact answer depends on the role itself, how regularly the person works with children, and who is employing or engaging them.
- Think about the actual duties, not just the job title.
- Check legal eligibility before submitting a higher-level application.
- Make sure the person reviewing the result sees the original certificate.
School-employed route versus private tutoring route
For tutors working in or with schools, the practical question is usually who starts the application. A school or education employer may handle that as part of recruitment, while independent tutors working directly with families may need a different route.
That distinction matters because the same person could be a school-employed tutor in one setting and a self-employed private tutor in another. The paperwork route is not automatically identical.
Updating a school process that still says CRB
Do not simply replace the letters “CRB” with “DBS” and leave the rest unchanged. Check that the policy identifies who decides eligibility, who starts the application, how identity is verified, who inspects the original certificate and how disclosure information is handled.
Old paperwork may also use vague phrases such as “police checked” or “full CRB.” Replace those with the actual level and, where applicable, the workforce and barred-list element requested for the role. Clear language helps the tutor understand what they are authorising and gives the school a defensible record of what it checked.
Continue with the school role assessment
Start the check after the school has documented the correct level.
What schools and tutors should do next
When a school checks a certificate, it is not just counting whether a tutor ‘has one’. The issue date, role wording, workforce and any Update Service status are part of the real decision-making picture.
Do not guess: match the school or teaching duties to the lawful route.
Common questions
Do private tutors always need the same DBS route as school staff?
No. The right route depends on how the tutoring work is arranged and who is requesting the check.
Can self-employed tutors now get Enhanced checks?
Eligible self-employed tutors can now use an umbrella body route for Enhanced checks under the 2026 guidance.
Can parents apply for a tutor’s DBS check on the tutor’s behalf?
No. The tutor must use the correct route themselves, such as an eligible umbrella-body route.
Does online tutoring remove the need to think about safeguarding?
No. The delivery method changes, but safeguarding and suitability questions remain important.
What to do next
Open the application route when the school role and requester are clear.