There is no national requirement to log every incident.
DfE’s advice explicitly notes that some schools record incidents and others do not want to keep written records, and says it wants schools to use their own judgment. What DfE does ask for is a consistent approach to monitoring bullying and evaluating whether it works — which is not the same as an entry on a system for every playground fallout.
updated 9 Jul 2026last checked 28 Jul 2026
What the source actually says
Asked directly whether incidents should be recorded, DfE answers:
“Staff should develop a consistent approach to monitoring bullying incidents in their school and evaluating whether their approach is effective. For some schools, that will mean recording incidents so that they can monitor incident numbers and identify where bullying is recurring between the same pupils. Others do not want to keep written records. We want schools to exercise their own judgment as to what will work best for their pupils.”
— Preventing and tackling bullying: advice for headteachers, staff and governing bodies, DfE, July 2017, p.15, “Frequently Asked Questions” DfE
Two things worth knowing about this source. It is advice, not statutory guidance — it describes itself throughout as advice and says it “will be kept under review and updated as necessary” (same source, “Review date”). And although the gov.uk page was refreshed on 9 July 2026, the document itself is the July 2017 text, so its passing references to Ofsted describe a framework replaced in November 2025 and should not be relied on. The recording question above does not depend on any Ofsted expectation.
Your school may still require it
Your school can lawfully require you to log every incident on CPOMS, MyConcern or whatever system it uses, and to do it within a set time. Many schools sensibly choose to, because a pattern between the same two pupils is invisible without it. That is a school choice made for good reasons — it is just not a national requirement you are failing to meet if your school decides otherwise.
See also Does my school have to have a behaviour policy? and Do I have to record the verbal feedback I give pupils?.