Teacher Training - Enhanced DBS check

An Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check is a compulsory requirement of any offer to study on courses where trainees may be placed in a position of trust working with children and/or vulnerable adults.

Please read the information on this page carefully for instructions on when and how to apply for your Enhanced DBS check. If you have any queries about the Enhanced DBS check, please  contact admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk. 

How should I apply for my Enhanced DBS check? 

If you have received and accepted an offer for a Postgraduate Teacher Education, PGCert Early Years Practice (Graduate Mainstream Entry), or BA Primary Education course - please refer to the instructions on this page for further details.

 If you have received and accepted an offer for and employment-based or salaried course, your Enhanced DBS check will be carried out by your training school or employer.   Please contact them for further advice.

If you are a non-UK national and require a visa to enter the UK: Please refer to our guidance for non-UK national offer holders for further details. 

I have accepted my offer from the University, when should I apply for my Enhanced DBS check?

• If you receive and accept an offer more than six months before the start of your course, the university will send you further instructions on how to apply for your Enhanced DBS check in April. The email will include details of the Organisation PIN and Secret Word required for your DBS application. 
  
• If you accept your offer after April further instructions will be sent to you via email shortly after you accept your offer. 

Please note that DBS checks cannot be carried out any earlier than 6 months before the start date of the course.

I have received the email containing the Organisation PIN and Secret Word. What do I need to do next?

Please use the Organisation PIN and Secret Word to register for the First Advantage Online Disclosures system. 

Once you have completed the registration process, please complete the online application form. To prevent any delays, please ensure that you complete the application form fully and accurately.

Important note: You must declare all addresses you have lived at within the last 5 years on your DBS application. This includes university addresses if you have lived away from home  whilst studying in the last 5 years and all other UK  and overseas addresses.

Important note:  If you have previously been known by any other name(s), you must declare all of your previous name(s) on your DBS application.

Please visit The Applicant User Guide for further information on how to complete your Enhanced DBS application using the First Advantage Online Disclosures system.

At the end of the application form, I am asked to contact a verifier from the list provided for an ID document check. Do I need to do this?
No, please DO NOT contact a verifier from the list provided at the end of the application form. The verifiers listed are based in our central HR department and are not involved with the DBS checks for teacher trainees.

Please only contact admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk if you have queries about your Enhanced DBS application or the ID verification process.

How do I provide the documents for my DBS check?

If you came to an interview at the University - the Admissions Support team will use the ID documents you provided at your interview to verify your DBS application. If we require any further documents or information from you, we will contact you to let you know.

If you were interviewed by one of our Lead Partner Schools - you will be invited to attend an Induction and Needs Assessment session at the University during the spring or summer term and we will send you further instructions for providing your DBS documents.

Please refer to our advice on providing the correct identity documents for the DBS check for a list of acceptable documents.

I was unable to provide my ID documents for the DBS check when I came to the University.  What should I do?
Please contact admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk to arrange an appointment to bring your ID documents to the Admissions Office for verification. 

What happens after I have submitted my Enhanced DBS application and provided my ID documents?

The Admissions Support team will verify your DBS application using the ID documents you have provided. Once the team has completed the ID verification process, you will receive an email from First Advantage Online Disclosures with instructions on how to pay for the check (currently £45.20*). You can make the payment with a PayPal account, or you can select the option to pay with a debit or credit card

Please be aware that the University receives a high number of DBS applications, and we carry out the ID verification process for each DBS application as quickly as we can. You will receive an email from First Advantage  with instructions on how to pay for the DBS check as soon as we have completed the ID verification process.

* We have been advised that the government will be increasing the cost of the Enhanced DBS check from 2nd December 2024.  The new fee for the check will be £56.70.

What happens after I have made the payment for my Enhanced DBS check?

Once you have made the payment, your application will be processed by the Disclosure and Barring Service and on completion of the check the Disclosure and Barring Service will send your Enhanced DBS certificate to you in the post. Please note, your Enhanced DBS certificate will be sent to the address that you list as your current address in your DBS application.

Please keep your paper certificate safe as your placement schools will often ask to see the paper certificate.

It is not possible to obtain a replacement certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service so, if you lose the certificate, you will have to apply and pay for a new Enhanced DBS check.  

Do I need to send a copy of my Enhanced DBS certificate to the University?

You do not normally need to send a copy of your certificate to the University as we can obtain confirmation of your Enhanced DBS clearance through the First Advantage Online Disclosures system, but please keep your certificate safe as your placement schools may ask to see your certificate.

How long does the Enhanced DBS application process take?

The amount of time that an Enhanced DBS check takes can vary depending on a variety of factors such as the time of year that you apply, where you live or have previously lived, and how many different area police forces are involved in the check. You can monitor the progress of your application through the First Advantage Online Disclosures system. A number of agencies are involved in the checking process and the University cannot influence the amount of time taken to perform the check once it is in progress.

 My DBS certificate shows details of a previous conviction or caution. What should I do?
Please contact admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk as soon as possible for advice and we will explain what you need to do next.

Does the University accept DBS clearance through the Update Service? 

Please refer to our guidance on acceptance of DBS clearance through the Update Service for further details.

What is the DBS Update Service and how do I register for it? 

Please visit the gov.uk website  for further details.

Safeguarding Policy

You may also like to read the Institute of Education's Safeguarding Policy.

Questions?

If you have any questions relating to the process please do not hesitate to contact us at admissionssupport@reading.ac.uk.