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How to review your staff code of conduct

Be confident when reviewing your staff code of conduct. Know what it should include and what questions to ask to make sure your school or trust's code is compliant and robust.

Last reviewed on 20 February 2025See updates
Ref: 38504
Statutory/mandatory for:
Maintained schools
Academies
Free schools
Independent schools
Sixth-form colleges
Pupil referral units
Non-maintained special schools
Contents
  1. Key facts
  2. What this policy needs to do
  3. 3 key questions to challenge the policy
  4. Model code of conduct
  5. Examples from schools and trusts

What this policy needs to do

Your staff code of conduct should clearly set out the standards of conduct that you expect staff to follow. This includes inside and outside of the school.

Governing boards of maintained schools must establish procedures for the regulation of staff conduct, under regulation 7 of the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), which is statutory guidance for all schools, says that schools should have a staff code of conduct or behaviour policy.

It should, among other things, include information on:

  • Low-level concerns
  • Allegations against staff
  • Whistle-blowing
  • Acceptable use of technologies (including the use of mobile devices)
  • Staff/pupil relationships
  • Communications, including the use of social media

This is explained in paragraph 99 of KCSIE.

3 key questions to challenge the policy

You'll want to make sure that leaders have considered all elements of the policy mentioned in