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Childcare Educator reference check template

A reference check form for early childhood educators, childcare assistants and room leaders. It adds eight questions on supervision, child safety, communication with families and teamwork in the room.

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  • Free, no sign-up
  • Editable Word file
  • 8 childcare educator questions

What to focus on in a childcare educator reference check

For anyone working with children, ask referees for concrete examples of supervision and of how the candidate responded to a child's needs. A room leader, centre director or educational leader who worked with the candidate is the best referee. Run any required child safety screening separately through the official channels.

8 reference check questions to ask about a childcare educator

Ask these after the standard verification and performance questions. They are already in the Word and PDF template.

  1. 1.Which age group did the candidate work with, and what was their role in the room?
  2. 2.How did the candidate keep children safe during active play, meals and transitions?
  3. 3.Tell me about a time the candidate supported a child who was upset or struggling.
  4. 4.How did the candidate communicate with families, including about a difficult day?
  5. 5.How did the candidate contribute to programming and observations?
  6. 6.How did the candidate work with the rest of the room team, especially on busy days?
  7. 7.Did the candidate ever raise a concern about a child's wellbeing? How did they handle it?
  8. 8.Would you be happy for the candidate to care for your own child? Why?

What a strong reference sounds like

  • Specific examples of active supervision and safe transitions
  • Warm but professional communication with families
  • Follows reporting procedures when worried about a child
  • Room team describes them as dependable

Red flags to follow up

  • Any hesitation on the final question
  • Referee only knew the candidate socially
  • Vague answers about supervision or incidents
  • Friction with families that the referee avoids explaining

Download the childcare educator reference check template

Free, no sign-up. The Word version is editable; the PDF is ready to print.

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Want more questions? See 35 reference check questions to ask references. Prefer referees to answer online? HiveRef sends the form, chases replies and builds the report. Start with 4 free checks.

Childcare Educator Reference Check Template

For phone or written reference checks. Use the same questions for every referee so answers are comparable.

1. Candidate and referee details

  • Candidate name
  • Role applied for
  • Referee name
  • Referee job title and organisation
  • Referee email and phone
  • Relationship to the candidate (for example, direct manager)
  • Date of reference check
  • Checked by

2. Consent

Confirm the candidate agreed to you contacting this referee. Tell the referee their answers are used only for this hiring decision.

  • Candidate consent confirmed (yes / no)
  • Date consent was given

3. Verification questions

  1. 1.How do you know the candidate, and what was your working relationship?
  2. 2.What were the candidate's start and end dates, as far as you remember them?
  3. 3.What was their job title, and did it change while you worked together?
  4. 4.Did the candidate report to you directly? If not, how often did you see their work?
  5. 5.What were the main reasons the candidate left, as far as you know?

4. Performance questions

  1. 6.Which parts of the role did the candidate own day to day?
  2. 7.Tell me about a deadline the candidate missed or nearly missed. What happened next?
  3. 8.Give an example of the candidate producing good work with incomplete information.
  4. 9.What result improved while they were in the role, and what was their contribution?
  5. 10.When results were below expectations, how did they respond to feedback?
  6. 11.What skill did the candidate develop most while you worked together?

5. Childcare Educator questions

  1. 12.Which age group did the candidate work with, and what was their role in the room?
  2. 13.How did the candidate keep children safe during active play, meals and transitions?
  3. 14.Tell me about a time the candidate supported a child who was upset or struggling.
  4. 15.How did the candidate communicate with families, including about a difficult day?
  5. 16.How did the candidate contribute to programming and observations?
  6. 17.How did the candidate work with the rest of the room team, especially on busy days?
  7. 18.Did the candidate ever raise a concern about a child's wellbeing? How did they handle it?
  8. 19.Would you be happy for the candidate to care for your own child? Why?

6. Working style and integrity

  1. 20.Describe a disagreement the candidate had with a colleague. How did they move the work forward?
  2. 21.How did the candidate ask for help when they needed it?
  3. 22.When the candidate made a mistake that affected others, what did they do?
  4. 23.What would you tell a new manager about working with this person?

7. Closing questions

  1. 24.Is there anything we have not asked that you think we should know?
  2. 25.What kind of manager or team would get the best out of this person?
  3. 26.Would you hire or work with this person again? Why or why not?

8. Recommendation

  • Overall: recommend / recommend with reservations / do not recommend
  • Strengths confirmed
  • Concerns or follow-ups
  • Signed and dated

Do not ask about health, family, age, religion or other protected personal information, and check the law where you hire.

Frequently asked questions

Is a reference check enough for childcare roles?

No. References tell you how the educator worked. Your sector will also require child safety screening and qualification checks, which you run separately through the official channels.

How recent should childcare references be?

Ideally within the last two years and from someone who supervised the candidate in a room with children.

What should I leave out of a childcare reference check?

Do not ask about health, pregnancy, family plans, age or religion. Keep every question about how the candidate did the job.

Send these childcare educator questions online instead.

HiveRef emails the referees, chases them for you and puts every answer into one report. First 4 checks free, no card needed.

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