Back to basics: What does safeguarding mean for PTAs?

PTAs

16 September 2026

Image: Three adults looking at a tombola at a summer fair.

Caroline Hayward is a Parentkind PTA Community Adviser and former PTFA Chair.

Safeguarding is one of those words we hear a lot about, it comes up in policies, meetings, volunteer chats, event planning, DBS checks and risk assessments. And I’ll be honest — it can sound a bit overwhelming.

For PTA volunteers organising events, safeguarding can feel like something that is the school’s responsibility. Something for headteachers, teachers and designated safeguarding leads to worry about.

But safeguarding matters to PTAs too.

Not because volunteers are expected to become experts, but because PTAs are part of the school community. When we organise activities involving children and families, we all have a role to play in helping keep children safe.

What does safeguarding mean?

At its simplest, safeguarding means protecting children from harm.

That includes physical safety, but it also includes children’s emotional wellbeing, privacy, dignity and right to feel safe and supported.

For schools, safeguarding is a formal responsibility with policies, procedures and trained staff. For PTAs, it is usually much more practical.

Consider asking:

Are children safe at this event?

Is there appropriate supervision?

Do volunteers know what they are expected to do?

Do we know what to do if a child is upset, lost or worried?

Do we know who to speak to if something does not feel right?

That is safeguarding in real life.

Not scary.

Not mysterious.

Just important.

Why does it matter at PTA events?

PTA events are often busy, lively and full of moving parts.

A disco with excited children arriving at the door.

A summer fair with families coming and going.

A film night where children may be dropped off and collected later.

A Christmas event where volunteers are juggling hot chocolate, raffle tickets and someone asking where the toilets are.

Sound familiar?

These events are brilliant. They raise money, bring people together and create happy memories for children. But because they involve children, we need to think carefully about how they are kept safe. That does not mean making everything feel wrapped in red tape. It means making safeguarding part of the planning, just like booking the bouncy castle, sorting refreshments or finding someone with a working card reader.

Safeguarding is not just DBS checks

When people hear “safeguarding”, they often think of DBS checks.

DBS checks are important, but they are not the whole story.

A DBS check is generally only required when someone is undertaking a regulated activity. In simple terms, this usually means certain types of work with children, especially where contact is regular, unsupervised or involves specific responsibilities.

Most PTA roles will not fall into this category. Helping on a cake stall, selling raffle tickets, setting up tables or serving refreshments at a supervised event will not mean someone needs a DBS check.

However, schools may require DBS checks for certain volunteers as part of their own safeguarding policy. This might depend on the activity, the level of supervision and how often someone is volunteering.

So, the best approach is simple — don’t guess, ask the school.

And remember, a DBS check is not a magic safeguarding badge. Safeguarding is much wider than one check. It is about the whole culture around keeping children safe.

What safeguarding looks like in practice

At a PTA event, safeguarding often shows up in the small details…

At a disco, it is how children are signed in, collected and supervised.

At a fair, it is knowing which areas are out of bounds, how people are moving around the site and what happens if a child gets separated from their parent or carer.

At a film night, it is being clear about whether parents are staying, who is responsible for the children and who can collect them afterwards.

At a colour run, it is seeking permission for photos and being clear on how they are used.

It is also about boundaries. Volunteers should not be alone with a child where possible, avoid private online communication with children and setting rules around photos, videos and social media.

Good safeguarding means noticing things early: a worried child, a busy doorway at collection time, a parent who cannot find their child, or a quiet corner where children are drifting away from the main event.

It is about helping children feel safe, volunteers feel confident and parents know what to expect.

Work with the school

Your school will already have a safeguarding policy and a designated safeguarding lead, often known as the DSL and the PTA’s safeguarding policy should link into the school’s. The PTA committee members should know who and how to contact when a safeguarding incident occurs.

Before an event, it is worth checking:

What supervision is needed?

Are any volunteers undertaking regulated activity?

Does the school require DBS checks as part of their safeguarding policy?

What is the lost child procedure?

What should volunteers do if they have a concern?

What are the rules around photography and social media?

It does not need to be complicated. It just needs to be clear.

What if a volunteer has a concern?

If a child says something worrying, or if something does not feel right, report it.

PTA volunteers are not expected to investigate, question a child in detail or decide whether something ‘counts’.

Listen calmly, reassure the child that they have done the right thing by telling someone, and pass the concern on following the PTA’s safeguarding policy – this is likely to be to the school’s DSL who can then guide further.

Do not promise to keep it secret.

Do not try to solve it yourself.

Do not discuss it in the PTA WhatsApp group.

Just share it with the right person.

So, what does safeguarding mean for PTAs?

It means putting children’s safety first, planning events carefully, working with the school, making sure volunteers understand their role and it means knowing what to do if something feels wrong.

PTAs do not need to be safeguarding experts.

But we do need to take safeguarding seriously.

Because behind every disco, fair, cake sale and Christmas shop are children who deserve to feel safe, happy and looked after in their school community. When safeguarding is done well, it does not have to feel heavy or scary.

It simply becomes part of how we do things.

Thoughtful.

Practical.

And very much part of being a PTA.