Safety & Safeguarding

Your safety is not a feature.
It's the foundation.

Virgoul takes student safety seriously at every step — from vetting teachers before they join to giving students and parents clear ways to report concerns.

How we vet every teacher

No teacher on Virgoul can start accepting bookings until they have passed all five stages of our onboarding review.

Step 1

Application review

We review every application for teaching experience, professional qualifications, and instrument proficiency. Applications that do not meet our baseline are declined at this stage.

Step 2

Identity verification

Teachers upload a valid government-issued photo ID before their profile goes live. We verify the document and cross-check against the details on their application.

Step 3

DBS check (where applicable)

Teachers who work with children or vulnerable adults in the UK are required to provide an Enhanced DBS certificate. This is displayed on their profile so parents can see it.

Step 4

Demo lesson

Shortlisted applicants complete a 20-minute live mock lesson with a Virgoul review panel member. We assess teaching quality, communication, and professionalism before granting approval.

Step 5

Ongoing monitoring

We monitor student reviews, lesson completion rates, and flagged reports continuously. A pattern of negative feedback or any safeguarding concern results in immediate review.

DBS checks for child-facing teachers

In the UK, teachers who list themselves as available to teach children or young learners are required to hold an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate.

When a teacher uploads and verifies their DBS certificate, a visible badge appears on their profile. If you do not see this badge, the teacher's DBS status has not been verified on our platform — we recommend asking them directly before booking for a child.

Note: DBS certificates expire and must be renewed. Virgoul prompts teachers to update their certificate when it expires.

Teachers must upload their DBS certificate during onboarding

Certificate expiry dates are tracked and teachers are notified

DBS badge is visible on teacher profiles

Profiles without a DBS badge will note this clearly

Students and parents can filter by DBS-verified teachers

For parents and guardians

If your child is learning on Virgoul, here are the steps we recommend to ensure a safe and positive experience.

1

Be present in the room for the first few lessons, especially for younger children.

2

Ensure your child knows they can tell you if anything makes them uncomfortable.

3

Keep all communication between teacher and student within the Virgoul platform.

4

Check that your teacher's profile shows a valid DBS badge if your child is under 18.

5

Review your child's lesson history regularly from your parent dashboard.

6

Contact us immediately at safety@virgoul.com if you have any concerns.

How to report a concern

If you witness or experience anything on the platform that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, please report it immediately.

Urgent concerns

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services first (999 in the UK).

safety@virgoul.com

General concerns

Use the "Report" button on any teacher profile, lesson, or message. Our team reviews all reports within 24 hours on business days.

support@virgoul.com

Data privacy

Virgoul complies with UK GDPR. We collect only what is necessary to run the platform. We do not sell your data or share it with third parties for marketing purposes.

Read our full Privacy Policy