Required by all employers in the United Kingdom*
View all checksRequired by Ofsted*
Recommended by Zinc
Recommended by Zinc
Reliable checks for better Ofsted compliance
When you’re safeguarding, compliance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Find out what essential Zinc checks you need to keep your classroom or nursery in line with Ofsted and KCSIE requirements.
Trusted & loved by
Higher Ofsted ratings start with better background checks
Zinc makes it easy for candidates to complete their checks on-the-go with a mobile-first design and live chat. You’ll both get results straight to your inbox, so you can be confident staff are ready when you need them.
Trust Zinc to keep your staff and volunteers personal data safe with a history of zero data breaches and 99.999% uptime. Zinc is a member of the UK Trust Framework and ISO 27001 certified.
Send checks from your ATS or HRIS in just a few clicks with seamless integrations. With fewer manual steps, you’re likely to spend less than 90 seconds of admin per candidate and get many checks back within minutes, not weeks.
Say hello to digital reports you can’t lose track of. Zinc automatically filters through hundreds of data sources and pulls results into each candidate’s profile — creating a seamless audit trail, every time.
Trusted by
“Hiring managers are genuinely excited about the move to Zinc. It’s already transforming the way they work, making processes simpler and more efficient.”
Natalie McGuinness
Head of Talent Acquisition
Trusted by
"My favourite thing about Zinc is its seamlessness. The combination of the automation, the time saving and the fact that once I click send to the person, I know they'll understand what to do."
Lauren Benson-Armer
People Lead
Trusted by
"I needed something that I could rely on to do thorough background checks. You can't cut corners on recruitment in education. If you can't do the safeguarding at recruitment, then you're letting unsafe people into the organisation. I needed something that I could depend on, and I’m 100% confident Zinc is that"
Alex Pazik
Safeguarding Manager
Essential Ofsted checks for senior hires*
Required by all employers in the United Kingdom*
View all checksRequired by Ofsted*
Recommended by Zinc
Recommended by Zinc
Here’s how other Ofsted-regulated orgs stay in the know
Trusted by
“When you’re in HR, there are so many things that need your time. I don't have to worry about background checks, which are so compliant-heavy — especially if you’re doing right to work checks in the UK. Zinc takes away the work and makes it easy.”
Becca Okyere
People Operations Manager
Where do I start with Ofsted and KCSIE compliance?*
Finding the right first steps can be tricky.*
Keep up with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, the latest with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Subscribe to the Compliance Corner, Zinc’s monthly newsletter with an expert view of regulatory changes
Ask about how a dedicated Zinc account manager can help you understand which checks are right for your candidates
Find out how Zinc can save you hours of time
*All research into the required and recommended checks has been completed by Zinc’s legal team. However, regulation may change faster than our website. The guidance on this page should be treated as a suggestion, not fact. All customers are responsible for making sure they are compliant with background checking standards relevant to them, their candidates roles and locations, by researching the regulation directly.