DBS changes for dance teachers: new rules and lower fees

If you teach children, here’s some good news. From 1 September 2026, the government removed the supervision exemption from the legal meaning of regulated activity with children. Put simply, more of the helpers who regularly support our young dancers can now have the highest level of DBS check. That’s a positive step for the whole dance industry.

There’s a second piece of good news too. From Monday 5 October 2026, DBS fees are lower.

Here at Teach.Dance, we’ve looked at the DBS changes and what they mean for your classes, shows and trips. We’ll also share some simple steps that keep children safe and give parents even more reason to trust you. This is general guidance, not legal advice. If you’re unsure about a particular role, check the DBS guidance on gov.uk or get advice for your own roles and contracts.

What changed on 1 September 2026

There used to be a rule that kept some people out of regulated activity with children just because someone else supervised them. The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) says that from 1 September 2026, that rule no longer applies in England and Wales. You can read the detail in the DBS announcement on the change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026. The law is changing in Northern Ireland too. DBS points readers there to the Department of Justice (NI) for the local detail.

Before 1 September, some people taught, trained, instructed, cared for or supervised children often enough (or overnight). Even so, they might not have been in regulated activity. That was the case if they were supervised closely enough by someone who was in regulated activity. For that supervised role, an organisation could often ask for an Enhanced DBS check (child workforce). It could not ask for a Children’s Barred List check.

Now, if someone does that work often enough, or overnight, they’re in regulated activity with children, even if someone else is supervising them. The organisation can then ask for an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check.

What “often enough” means

DBS calls this the period condition. Its regulated activity with children leaflet (updated 17 September 2026) sets it out as either:

• more than 3 days in any 30-day period, or
• once overnight, between 2am and 6am, with the opportunity for face-to-face contact with children.

The change comes from the Crime and Policing Act 2026. It’s about regulated activity with children only, and there’s no matching change for regulated activity with adults.

Who it covers

This isn’t only about school volunteers. DBS is clear that the change applies anywhere the regulated activity tests are met. Its examples include sports clubs, charities, youth groups, outdoor activity providers and cultural organisations, as well as schools and colleges. That’s very much our world. Paid staff and volunteers could both be covered. It depends on what the work involves and how often it happens.

Do you also teach in schools? The Department for Education (DfE) guidance on removing the supervision exemption is written for schools, colleges and childcare in England. It focuses on volunteers. It says that all paid staff who have contact with children are already in regulated activity. For private studios and community dance, the wider DBS view (with its cultural and sports-style examples) is the safer one to follow. Not sure how this applies to a paid assistant role? Check with DBS or get advice before you decide.

What the new law doesn’t do

The DBS myth-busting page on the September 2026 changes is a helpful read. It confirms a few points:

• The change doesn’t, on its own, mean every organisation must now get a DBS check. There’s no new blanket legal duty. Organisations still look at each role and what level of check is legally available.
• Not every role involving children is automatically regulated activity. What the person does, and how often, still matters.
• An organisation doesn’t have to suspend someone just because their check is still being processed. How you manage risk while you wait is your own safeguarding decision.
• Organisations could apply for Enhanced with Children’s Barred List checks before 1 September. That applied where the other parts of the regulated activity test were already met.

Scotland works differently

In Scotland, teachers use Disclosure Scotland and the PVG scheme for regulated roles. This DBS change is for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so it doesn’t apply in Scotland. If you teach on both sides of the border, follow each nation’s rules separately. The mygov.scot guide to roles that need PVG membership is a good place to start.

Why this is good news for dance

Regulated activity is work that a barred person must not do. It’s an offence for a barred person to do regulated activity, and it’s also an offence for anyone to let a barred person do it.

The supervision exemption made practical sense in busy settings, because there was a checked teacher in the room. The government’s reason for removing it is simple. Regular contact with children still carries risk, even with supervision, if the helper is barred. Closing that gap means barred people can’t rely on “I was only an assistant under supervision” to keep working with children.

For us as dance teachers, it’s all about trust:

• Children often trust us for years. Assistants and chaperones share that trust.
• Overnight festivals, residential courses and backstage corridors are just where the overnight and frequent-contact rules come into play.
• Checks are one part of a strong safeguarding culture. Policies, training, clear ways to report concerns and professional boundaries matter just as much as the certificate on file.

DBS and DfE both describe the change as making children safer. It stops people who pose a risk of harm from working regularly with children in these roles. We welcome that. It fits how we talk about safeguarding at Teach.Dance: for teachers, by teachers, with children’s welfare at the centre. For the bigger picture, have a look at our earlier post on BDSA’s National Safeguarding Framework. It’s a proposed industry standard for extracurricular activities, and it’s separate from the legal change in this post. Our post on the questions parents are asking about club safeguarding is worth a read too.

Lower DBS fees from 5 October 2026

From Monday 5 October 2026, DBS fees are lower, so checking your team costs less. From that date, the fees are:

• Enhanced DBS check: £41.00
• Standard DBS check: £20.00
• Update Service: £15.00 a year
• Volunteer checks: still free

That’s down from £49.50 (Enhanced), £21.50 (Standard) and £16 a year (Update Service), the fees set in December 2024. The DBS announcement explains how it reduces fees for checks and the Update Service from 5 October 2026. The old figures are in DBS fees are changing in December.

The organisations that process checks (registered bodies and responsible organisations) may add their own admin fee on top. DBS doesn’t set or regulate those charges.

What this looks like in your studio

So much of what we do looks just like the DBS examples. Think of weekly classes, assistants helping out, holiday intensives, show weekends and competition trips. Here’s how the change fits into studio life.

Class assistants and helpers

Lead teachers who teach children regularly were usually already in (or treated as) regulated activity. So this change isn’t really about a new check for every principal teacher. It’s about roles that used to sit outside regulated activity only because they were supervised.

Think of the assistant who helps with your Saturday baby ballet class, or the trainee who supports your tap class every week. Several kinds of helper may now be in regulated activity, even when a checked teacher is in the room. That includes assistants, trainee helpers, regular class volunteers, chaperones, and backstage or workshop helpers. This applies if they teach, instruct, care for or supervise children on more than 3 days in any 30-day period (or overnight). That’s the heart of the change. Our guides to young dance school assistants and hiring your first dance teacher cover safer recruitment for each role.

Shows, competitions and trips

Show chaperones, competition helpers and the team supporting your holiday intensive are worth a closer look. Some of these helpers care for or supervise your dancers on more than 3 days in any 30-day period. Others stay overnight on a competition trip or residential course. Either way, they may now be in regulated activity.

Occasional helpers are not automatically pulled in by this change alone. A parent who helps once at the summer show is well below the period condition, and isn’t there overnight. How often someone helps is what matters.

Teaching in more than one place

If you teach in several schools, academies or community venues, each place may still ask for its own safer recruitment steps. The Update Service can help you share an up-to-date certificate. It works as long as the workforce and level match what they need.

DfE says that for volunteers working in more than one setting, the days add up across all of them. They all count towards the “more than 3 days in 30” test. That guidance is about volunteers in schools. Even so, counting across venues is a good habit for you and any unpaid helpers. If you’re not sure, check with the setting or DBS.

Some schools used to accept an Enhanced check without the barred list for a supervised role. If the role meets the new definition, they may now need Enhanced with the Children’s Barred List.

Schools and community settings

In schools and colleges, DfE’s message is clear for volunteers who meet the frequency or overnight tests. They need an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list information. Volunteers helping on overnight school trips are now in regulated activity. Occasional PTA-style help, or a single daytime trip (not overnight), is treated differently.

Community dance projects, youth groups and cultural organisations are closer to the DBS “sports club or cultural organisation” examples. Look at what each assistant and volunteer actually does, and how often. Their job title matters less.

Simple steps for good practice

Picture your Saturday baby ballet assistant. She helps every week, so that’s more than 3 days in any 30-day period. Under the new rules she may now be in regulated activity, even though you’re in the room.

A quick review of roles like hers shows parents you take their children’s safety seriously. It also helps your team feel confident in their roles. Here’s a simple checklist:

1. Work out who does what with children. List the paid staff, freelancers, assistants and volunteers who teach, train, instruct, care for or supervise children. Include regular performance, rehearsal and overnight tour helpers.
2. Check how often, and whether it’s overnight. Use the DBS period condition: more than 3 days in any 30-day period, or overnight between 2am and 6am with the opportunity for face-to-face contact.
3. Look at the certificates you already have. Did the check include the Children’s Barred List? Some people had Enhanced without the barred list only because they were supervised. The DBS myth-busting page says they may now be eligible for Enhanced with the barred list.
4. Choose the right check. The law widens who can be in regulated activity. You still decide which check is right and legally available for each role, and how you recruit. Follow your safeguarding duties and sector guidance. Private studios don’t always follow the same DfE processes as maintained schools.
5. Use the Update Service. It keeps Standard and Enhanced certificates up to date. From 5 October 2026 it costs £15 a year for paid roles and is free for volunteers. You usually need to join within 30 days of the certificate being issued.
6. Refresh your policies and induction. Your safer recruitment steps, volunteer agreements and codes of conduct should all reflect the rules from 1 September. So should the details of your designated safeguarding lead.
7. Base it on the role, not on supervision. Supervision alone is no longer the test for eligibility. That’s exactly what changed.

You’ll find more about keeping certificates current on the gov.uk DBS Update Service page. For official help with eligibility, DBS runs workshops through its Regional Outreach service, with regional contacts listed on gov.uk. In Scotland, contact Disclosure Scotland.

For Teach.Dance members, it’s a good moment to tidy up certificates and role descriptions. Want a refresher on the basics for you or your team? Our Introduction to Safeguarding in Dance (Level 1) is a short introductory online course, taking around 35 to 45 minutes. It covers spotting concerns, responding and reporting, and safer practice, and you get a certificate when you finish. It’s safeguarding training, not a DBS check, and it doesn’t replace one.

Support from our partner, BDSA

If you’d like a friendly hand, the British DanceSport Association (BDSA) is a good place to start. BDSA is the governing body for dance sport in the UK and a Teach.Dance partner, and it has practical help on this exact change.

BDSA has published a clear members update on the Crime and Policing Act 2026 changes for dance studios and clubs. Not sure how a role should be classed? BDSA can help you work out which volunteers need an enhanced DBS check and a Children’s Barred List check. You can contact the team at [email protected]. Members can also download extra guidance on the changes from the BDSA Members Zone.

BDSA can also help with the checks themselves. Its Dance Schools & Studios membership includes a DBS checking service.

For families, BDSA runs the National Dance Safe Register, a public directory of dance schools across the UK. It helps parents and guardians choose a school with confidence. If you ever have a safeguarding concern, BDSA has a dedicated safeguarding helpline on 0800 917 9081.

Quick FAQ

Do I need a new DBS check if I already have Enhanced with the barred list?
Maybe not. If your certificate already includes the Children’s Barred List, this change on its own may not mean you need a new check. This assumes your role hasn’t changed in a way that affects the workforce or level. Look again if your role changes or a setting asks for something different. A DBS check has no official expiry date. Gov.uk says it’s up to the employer to decide when a new check is needed (see checks you can make on someone’s record).

How much does a DBS check cost from 5 October?
From 5 October 2026 an Enhanced check costs £41 and a Standard check costs £20. The Update Service is £15 a year. Volunteer checks are free. The organisation that processes your check may add its own admin fee.

Are volunteer DBS checks free?
Yes, DBS volunteer checks are still free. The Update Service is free for volunteers too, and gov.uk has the rules on who counts as a volunteer.

Does this apply to adult-only classes?
This change is only about regulated activity with children. Adult-only teaching is a separate question when it comes to eligibility.

Where should I start this week?
List everyone who helps with children, and note how often they help and whether any of it is overnight. That one list shows you which roles to look at first.

Teach.Dance · For Teachers, By Teachers