Safeguarding chronology template

A free template for keeping a child’s significant events in date order, with guidance on what a good chronology includes and leaves out.

Download for Word (.docx)

Free to use and adapt. The template prints on A4 landscape; choose “Save as PDF” in the print window for a PDF. This page doesn’t collect anything: print it blank and fill it in by hand. To print, use your browser’s Print command (Ctrl+P, or Cmd+P on a Mac).

What a good chronology includes

A chronology is a record, in date order, of the significant events and changes in a child’s life. It shows how the child and family have managed over time, and how professionals have responded.

It should be accurate, kept up to date, and balanced: include strengths and positive changes as well as concerns. Deciding what is significant is a matter of professional judgement.

From the Swindon Safeguarding Partnership’s good practice guide to compiling chronologies. This is guidance, not legal advice: follow your own local safeguarding partnership’s procedures.

Put in

Concerns and disclosures, and what was done about each one
Referrals and their outcomes, including a decision to take no further action
Assessments, meetings and plans (for example, a child protection conference or core group) and their outcomes
Changes in the family or home: a new partner, a separation, a bereavement, a move, homelessness
Changes at school: exclusions, a change of school, patterns of absence, missing episodes
Health events: hospital or A&E attendance, missed appointments
Engagement, or lack of it, with services
Positive changes and strengths, not only problems

Leave out

Every phone call, visit or routine contact, unless something significant happened
Copied and pasted case notes. Write a brief entry and point to the full record
Opinion written as fact. If you include a professional view, say whose it is
Long lists of the same event. Group them: “Between April and June, 23 late arrivals, getting more frequent”
Judgemental language. Children and families may read the chronology, so use plain, neutral words

Facts, not opinion

Safeguarding records should be clear and factual, and distinguish between observed concerns, professional opinion and historic information (KCSIE 2026, Annex B). Name the source of every entry, so anyone can see how it’s known.

Action and impact

Record what was done and by whom. If nothing was done, say why. Record the impact on the child where it’s known; if it isn’t known yet, say so, and update it later. If you add an entry some time after the event, say when you added it.

Free template · pupilprotect.co.uk/tools

Safeguarding chronology

School: ______________________________ Page ____ of ____

Confidential: child protection record. Keep this at the front of the child’s child protection file.

Child’s full name		Date of birth
Class or year group		Chronology kept by (name and role)

Significant events only, in date order. Group repeated events into one entry.
Facts, not opinion. If you include a view, say whose it is.
Name the source of every entry.
If no action was taken, say why. If the impact isn’t known yet, say so.

Date	Time	Event: what happened	Source: who reported it	Action taken	By whom	Outcome or impact on the child

Based on Working together to safeguard children 2026, Keeping children safe in education 2026 and the Swindon Safeguarding Partnership’s chronology guidance, checked 20 October 2026. Free template from Pupil Protect: pupilprotect.co.uk/tools. Adapt it to your own child protection policy and local procedures. Guidance, not legal advice.

How a chronology is used

A chronology is a working tool. Keep it current so it’s ready when it’s needed.

Seeing patterns and cumulative harm
One entry may look minor. A run of them, in date order, shows what’s really happening. Working together 2026 says analysis should build on the history of every child, taking account of cumulative abuse, neglect and exploitation.
Working together to safeguard children 2026, paragraph 186
Supervision and escalation
A chronology helps when a case feels uneasy but it’s hard to say why, when a past decision is being questioned, and when deciding whether to escalate or step down.
Swindon Safeguarding Partnership, chronology guidance
Multi-agency meetings
Bring it up to date before child protection conferences, core groups and team around the family meetings, so everyone sees the same history. Review it regularly and reconsider what counts as significant.
Swindon Safeguarding Partnership, chronology guidance
Reviews after serious incidents
Rapid reviews and child safeguarding practice reviews have shown that missed opportunities to record, understand the significance of, and share information can have severe consequences for children. A clear chronology shows what your school knew and did, and when.
Working together to safeguard children 2026, paragraph 29
When a child moves school
The DSL should transfer the child protection file within 5 days for an in-year move, or within the first 5 days of a new term, with a clear, structured summary of current concerns, context and support needs. An up-to-date chronology makes that summary much easier to write.
KCSIE 2026, Annex B

Pupil Protect replaces this paper form

In Safeguard, every concern, action, contact, meeting and document lands on the child’s chronology as it happens, so nobody has to copy entries across. Filter by type or category, show key events only, and print the chronology for a meeting.

See the chronology in Safeguard

Questions about chronologies

What is a safeguarding chronology?

A record, in date order, of the significant events and changes in a child’s life, with the source of each one, the action taken and the impact on the child. It sits at the front of the child protection file and helps the DSL and other professionals see patterns over time.

What should a school safeguarding chronology include?

Significant events only: concerns and disclosures, referrals and outcomes, meetings and plans, changes in the family, home or school, attendance patterns, exclusions, missing episodes, health events and engagement with services. Include positive changes too, and record the action taken, or why none was taken.

Should a chronology include opinions?

Keep to facts. Keeping children safe in education 2026 says safeguarding records should be clear and factual, and distinguish between observed concerns, professional opinion and historic information. If a professional view is important, say whose view it is.

How is a safeguarding chronology used?

In supervision, when deciding whether to escalate or step down, at child protection conferences and other multi-agency meetings, when a child moves school, and in rapid reviews and child safeguarding practice reviews after a serious incident.

Does a chronology replace the child protection file?

No. It summarises the file. Each entry should be brief and point to the full record, such as the concern form or meeting notes, where the detail is kept.

Sources

Checked 20 October 2026.

Working together to safeguard children 2026 replaced the 2023 edition in March 2026. Neither edition sets a format for a chronology, so the layout and the include and leave-out lists follow local safeguarding partnership guidance. Check your own partnership’s guidance too.

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