I am amazed that almost 40 per cent have completed the safer recruitment training. As with many government websites, access is a lottery. I have had colleagues tell me that passwords don’t work, the site has crashed part way through the training or that they had the wrong version of Java and the program, therefore, would not work.

In Lancashire, many more headteachers have completed the excellent face-to-face training provided by the county than have completed the online package. I suspect that this will be the case throughout the country.

Headteachers are in the front line when it comes to safeguarding children. They take their responsibilities seriously. They do not need to be castigated for not using an often Mickey Mouse website.

Les Turner, Lancashire NAHT.