Template for School / Education Establishment Personnel File

Below is a comprehensive contents list of paperwork that should be included on a personnel file (where it is relevant to do so). Schools may wish to include further sections and/or localise to meet their needs, as appropriate.

The Sections listed below correspond to the phases of employment - schools may therefore find it helpful to make use of file dividers to sub-divide their personnel files accordingly.

PERSONNEL FILE

Recruitment
Section / Document Type / Statutory Requirement for Maintained schools / Date Issued / Signature of Issuer / Comments
Pre-employment / Application Form
Reference 1 with notes of any conversation with referee
Reference 2 with notes of any conversation with referee
Medical Clearance / yes
Conditional Offer and any enclosures
Post-offer health reference
Offer / Statement of Particulars / Contract of Employment and copy of all enclosures / yes / Diarise review / end dates for Fixed-term and temporary contracts
Job description & Role Profile / If postholder will also be the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), provide statutory DSL role description appended to substantive job description/role profile
Signed Offer Acceptance
Pre-employment and safeguarding checks – all relevant paperwork / yes / Complete SCR
Put new starter on SAP
Casual Worker Assignment letter / Diarise review dates for casual worker breaks in service
Qualification certificates / yes / Copies, not originals
During Employment
Section / Document Type / Statutory Requirement for Maintained schools / Date Issued / Signature of Issuer / Comments
Induction / Completed Induction programme and any bring-forward dates to be actioned for the individual. / Use Induction Checklist
Performance Management / IPP / Interim and annual reviews / Yes (teachers)
Training
Safer Recruitment (if involved in interviewing) / Attendance Certificate / Complete Training Record
Child Protection (whole school training) / Complete Training Record
Wellbeing / work-life balance / Complete Training Record
DSL/CPLO / Certificate / Complete Training Record
NQT / Appropriate Body details / yes
Induction Co-ordinator name / yes
Induction Tutor name / yes
NQT Manager access provided
Pay / Annual Pay Statement (Teacher) / yes
Salary variations – details
Contract changes / Variation to contract – revised Statement of Particulars / contract of employment / letter of variation + any new job description/role profile / yes
Promotion – revised Statement of Particulars / contract of employment + any new job description/role profile / yes
Secondment – all paperwork
Safeguarding Issues / All paperwork / yes / Where an allegation is proven to be malicious, only the letter to the employee should be kept on file
Signed Childcare Disqualification Staff Declaration Form / Yes / For individuals providing childcare in Early / Later Years settings in accordance with ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education: Childcare Disqualification requirements, Supplementary advice (2015)
Employee Relations / Disciplinary – all paperwork / yes
Grievance – all paperwork / yes
Capability – all paperwork / Yes (teachers)
Absence (short-term) - all paperwork
Absence (long-term) – all paperwork
Ill-health – all paperwork
School Restructure / Reductions – all paperwork relevant to employee / yes
Redundancy / Redeployment – all paperwork / yes
Wellbeing / Details of any issues raised, process for resolution and outcome – all paperwork
Family Friendly / Maternity – all paperwork / yes / Family Friendly (as applicable) / Maternity – all paperwork
Paternity – all paperwork / yes / Paternity – all paperwork
Adoption – all paperwork / yes / Adoption – all paperwork
Flexible Working Request – all paperwork / yes / Flexible Working Request – all paperwork
Flexible Retirement request – all paperwork / Flexible Retirement request – all paperwork
End of Employment
Contract ending / Withdrawal of offer – all paperwork
Retirement – notification letter + all paperwork
Resignation – notification letter + all paperwork
Termination – all paperwork
Completed Exit Interview form
File Retention protocol followed / Diarise date for file destruction / add to bring-forward system