What is professional curiosity?
What is professional curiosity?
The NHS’ safeguarding guide defines professional curiosity as “having a healthy scepticism about what you are being told by the person you are speaking to, or a situation, and how this relates to safeguarding related issues”.
They describe it as being about exploring what is happening to an individual or within a family, instead of simply making assumptions or accepting a person’s “versions of events or disclosures at face value”.
What Keeping Children Safe in Education says
The government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance uses the term ‘professional curiosity’ twice, both in Part one: Safeguarding information for all staff.
In paragraph 16, under ‘What school and college staff need to know’, the guidance states:
“All staff should be aware that children may not feel ready or know how to tell someone that they are being abused, exploited, or neglected, and/or they may not recognise their experiences as harmful. [...] This should not prevent staff from having a professional curiosity and speaking to the designated safeguarding lead (or a deputy) if they have concerns about a child.”
Professional curiosity is mentioned again in paragraph 19 – this time when discussing abuse, neglect and exploitation:
“All staff should be aware of the indicators of abuse, neglect, exploitation and modern slavery (see below), understanding that children can be at risk of harm inside and outside of the school/college, inside and outside of home, and online. Exercising professional curiosity and knowing what to look for is vital for the early identification of abuse and neglect so that staff are able to identify cases of children who may be in need of help or protection.”
Both of these instances reflect the importance of professional curiosity – not taking a situation or disclosure at face value – in keeping young people safe.
They point out that in many cases, a child may not perceive the harm they are experiencing as anything out of the ordinary, or they might know it is harmful but not feel able to tell the truth.
Professional curiosity means maintaining an interest and keeping an eye out for signs of harm even where a student doesn’t make a disclosure.
How professional curiosity helps with safeguarding
School staff should already understand that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is everyone’s responsibility.
As a member of school staff, you are in a particularly important position to identify safeguarding concerns early on and prevent problems from escalating – for example, reporting low-level concerns can help your designated safeguarding lead (DSL) spot patterns they might not see otherwise.
Professional curiosity plays into this culture of safeguarding by showing that staff are proactively looking for safeguarding concerns both in and outside of school.
Teachers and school staff should not take things at face value, but instead be curious and seek clarity around a situation if needs be.
Professional curiosity in practice
Here are some ways you can be professionally curious at school:
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Think about what you have seen and been told about a situation
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Ask questions if you are unsure of anything – don't make assumptions about what’s happening in a family home
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Communicate with your DSL and let them know if you require support
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When asking questions, do so in a non-judgemental way and be open-minded: you should be open to having your own viewpoint challenged
Potential barriers to professional curiosity
However, school staff may experience barriers to maintaining professional curiosity. These include:
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Being overly optimistic about a situation
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Making assumptions without evidence or clarity
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Lacking the confidence to ask potentially sensitive questions
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Having unconscious bias
Being aware of these barriers is key to overcoming them. Ultimately, school staff can work towards maintaining a sense of professional curiosity by being open-minded and reflecting on what they know, suspect and assume about a situation.
How proactive is your school’s safeguarding culture?
It’s essential that all school staff members understand their role in safeguarding students and feel able to do it with confidence.
Our 2026 Safeguarding report brings together the views and experiences of thousands of school staff across the globe, providing a clear picture of safeguarding practice in schools today.
Read the report to explore the factors that support proactive safeguarding and consider how your schools can take practical steps towards embedding a proactive safeguarding culture.
Updated 26 October 2026