More than half of all teachers become involved in child protection cases in their first 18 months of teaching but many have no training in spotting child abuse, research by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children shows. Some 13 per cent of the 1,118 newly-qualified teachers surveyed by the NSPCC said that they had not received any training. The average length of training for those who had was just two to three hours.
The charity said schools could end up neglecting a new legal duty to safeguard children’s welfare. A training pack on child protection is available - ring 0116 234 7225.