While DBS checks can provide a history of past offences, they do not prevent future incidents. They’re important, but they’re not a guarantee of safety. A comprehensive approach involving all stakeholders is what is really needed for child protection in private tutoring.

The BBC recently broke a major story that has fuelled public concern: over 92 private tutors have been convicted of offences against children in the UK over the last 20 years. The media has highlighted significant gaps in safeguarding within the tutoring industry and public outcry has grown, with many calling for mandatory DBS checks for all private tutors to ensure child safety.

This focus on background checks has become central to the narrative - yet, with 25 years’ expertise in residential private tutoring, we believe that the emphasis on checks misses the bigger picture.

What are DBS checks, and why aren’t they enough?

At the heart of every parent’s hopes is the desire for their child’s safety, especially when entrusting them to educators. Background checks, like the UK’s DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service), aim to provide peace of mind by screening individuals before they work with children.

But as much as we all want to believe that these checks are a panacea, reality shows that they aren’t foolproof. DBS checks, while important, are clearly not working.

This lack of legal requirement for private tutors has led to a perception that private tutoring is inherently less safe, a narrative that the recent media coverage has amplified. Yet the reality is that background checks, whether in schools or private tutoring, are just one piece of a much larger safeguarding puzzle.

DBS checks, which replaced the earlier CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks, have been required in UK schools since 2012, with CRB checks in place since 2002. These checks aim to screen for past criminal convictions, aiming to prevent individuals with histories of offences from working with children. However, recent cases demonstrate that these checks alone cannot prevent all risks.

High-Profile Abuse Cases in Schools

Despite the presence of DBS checks, several high-profile cases have emerged involving teachers abusing students:

• Ben Breakwell, a London music teacher, was jailed for 32 offences, including grooming and sexual activity with students between 2014 and 2017. (source)
• Matthew Smith, a former deputy headteacher, was convicted in 2023 for commissioning child sexual abuse online and possessing over 120,000 indecent images. (source)
• Rebecca Joynes, a teacher in Greater Manchester, engaged in sexual activity with students, even becoming pregnant by one. She received a six-and-a-half-year sentence in 2024. (source)
• Richard Cottyn, an assistant headteacher, was convicted of 90 offenses involving over 20 teenage girls, despite working within a school environment meant to safeguard children. (source)
• Creighton Muirhead abused 19 pupils at schools in Dorking and Swindon between 1980 and 2008, despite being in a setting that required background checks. (source)

When such alarming stories come to light, the immediate response from media outlets and commentators is often a call for mandatory DBS checks for private tutors. While background checks help, they aren’t enough to eliminate risk. They offer a snapshot of past behaviour but can’t predict future actions or first-time offences.

The challenges in the industry

The situation becomes even more complicated in the private tutoring industry. Unlike schoolteachers, private tutors aren’t legally required to undergo DBS checks, although most private tutoring agencies will require it.

Enhanced DBS checks are technically already required for tutors. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 mandates that individuals providing teaching, training, or instruction to children for more than three days in a 30-day period must undergo Enhanced DBS checks, including a search of the Children’s Barred List. Most tutors fall under this definition.

The problem, however, arises from many tutors’ self-employed status, which means they can’t apply for an Enhanced, or even Standard, DBS check.

A recent investigation revealed that 92 private tutors were convicted of various offences over the past 20 years. While many cases involved serious misconduct like sexual abuse, the specifics of each incident aren’t always publicly available.

What we do know is that:

• Thomas Rodgers, a music tutor in East London, was convicted in 2023 of abusing two boys. Despite this, the absence of a legal obligation for ongoing checks means that, upon release, he could resume tutoring without any requirement for further background checks. (source)
• David Harris, another tutor, was convicted of abusing three students during private sessions in Birmingham, despite having passed an initial DBS check. His offences went undetected until a student bravely spoke out. (source)
• Yi Liu pleaded guilty in 2023 to sexually abusing four boys under the age of 13 between 2012 and 2018. (source)

These cases highlight the risks associated with private tutoring, where parents may assume safety based on their relationship with the tutor or through informal references rather than verified background checks.

At Tutors International, we conduct thorough background checks at the point of each new appointment, ensuring that they remain current and relevant to the situation. This means that every time a tutor is placed with a new family, their background check is refreshed, providing parents with the most up-to-date information and an added layer of assurance.

Collaborative safeguarding is a better way forward

While the figure of 92 private tutors convicted over 20 years may seem alarming, it averages out to approximately 4.6 cases per year. In comparison, consider the five high-profile teachers, all of whom were DBS-checked, who abused children over a much shorter time frame, potentially affecting a similar number of victims.

A March 2022 report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse highlights that 'schools are reluctant to report abuse by staff and pupils,' indicating that the issue may be even more pervasive in educational settings, particularly in residential schools. So, while any instance of sexual abuse is unacceptable, it is misleading to directly link the lack of regulation in tutoring to the risks posed to children based solely on the absence of DBS checks.

We all share the same goal: no child should ever suffer harm in an educational setting. But focusing on background checks as a solution overlooks the broader, more complex picture. Schools and tutoring services alike need to adopt a multi-layered approach to safeguarding that goes beyond just vetting for past behaviour.

Here’s what a more comprehensive approach might look like:

• Parental Involvement: Parents should consider being present during tutoring sessions or using video monitoring for added transparency.
• Regular Reviews: DBS checks should not be a one-time process. Regular re-checks help ensure that any new risks are identified promptly.
• Open Communication: Creating an environment where children feel safe to speak up about their experiences is critical to early intervention.

While DBS checks are an important step, they are only part of a wider safeguarding strategy. True child protection requires a collaborative effort from schools, tutors, agencies, and parents. At Tutors International, we are committed to rigorous checks and fostering open dialogue. Let’s work together to ensure that every child is safe, both in schools and in their homes.