Volunteer school exclusion independent review panel members
at ATLP
| Start Date: | As soon as possible | Contract Type: | Volunteer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary: | n/a – travel expenses paid | Closing Date: | Friday 22nd December 2023 |
| Interview Date: | To be confirmed |
The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership is a highly successful Multi Academy Trust(MAT) encompassing six secondary schools, 13 primary schools, a Teaching School Hub, and School Centred Initial Teacher Training provider. Our schools are based in North Birmingham, Tamworth, Lichfield, North Warwickshire and Coventry. A further 2 schools will join the ATLP in the near future.
Volunteer school exclusion independent review panel members
Independent panels consider requests from parents or carers to review the decision to permanently exclude their child from an ATLP school.
An Independent Exclusion review panel is made up of 3 representations: A lay member, Governor and Head teacher.
- a lay member who acts as the Chair of the panel. This person will not have worked in any school in a paid capacity, disregarding any experience as a school governor or volunteer.
- a school governor who has served as a governor for at least 12 consecutive months in the last five years, provided they have not been teachers or headteachers during this time.
- a headteacher or individual who has been a headteacher within the last five years.
The governor and headteacher should where possible be from the same phase of education as the excluding school i.e. primary / secondary and where possible reflect the type of school, for example, special or boarding school.
In order to be fair and impartial, none of the Panel can serve if they have a connection to the child/parent or the school.
What will I be doing?
- Sit on independent exclusion review panels for the benefit of children, parents and ATLP schools.
- Ensure that parents feel they have had a fair and independent hearing and been given every opportunity to put their case and that the points they have made have been taken seriously and carefully considered.
- Ensure parents feel that their review has been handled competently, fairly and within the law.
What are the possible decisions of the panel?
The independent review panel can either:
- agree with the governors’ decision
- recommend that the governors reconsider their decision, or
- “quash” the decision (reject it because it is invalid) and direct governors to reconsider. The decision will only be quashed if there was a flaw in the way the original panel came to their conclusions.
Following the IRP the panel must write to “all parties” to explain their decision and the reasoning behind it.
If the independent review panel has recommended or directed that a decision must be reconsidered, the ATLP Appeals and Exclusions committee must hold another meeting to review their original decision within 10 school days. If their original decision was quashed and governors still refuse to reinstate the child the school can be fined £4000.
How much time do I need to give?
During the 2022-23 academic year, the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership did not receive any requests for an independent review of pupil exclusions. Although reviews aren’t frequently requested, they have gone up in number across the country and we need a healthy pool of members we can call on to help us meet our statutory deadlines, as reviews must take place within 15 school days upon receipt of a request.
What support will I be given?
Full training will be provided before you are appointed to a review panel. The Trust is legally responsible for ensuring panellists have completed the appropriate training within the two years prior to a panel to deliver the responsibilities of the role.
Where will I be located?
West Midlands, primarily in Birmingham, Tamworth, Coventry, Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield. We hold reviews in a place that’s reasonably accessible for parents, so the venue will normally be in the locality of the school that is the subject of the review.
Please note you are required to travel to venues hosting exclusion reviews and training events by your own transport.
Will I receive expenses?
Yes, we can reimburse your travel expenses.
Where can I find more information about exclusions if I need more information to make a decision about whether or not to apply?
You are welcome to contact the governance department of the ATLP who can discuss the role with you in more detail. Please email to Katherine Thomas, Governance & Compliance Manager at katherine.thomas@atlp.org.uk
Or you can review the statutory guidance on exclusions from the DfE which is applicable to all state-funded schools, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion
How do I apply?
Please complete the attached Exclusion Review Panellist Form and return to governance@atlp.org.uk
Please note we do not accept CV’s, application will only be considered if received on an ATLP application form.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website:
This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement of the role.
We will carry out an online search about you for information that is publicly available online. This will include social media accounts you may hold. This will only be carried out on shortlisted candidates and before interview. This processing of data will be conducted under the legal basis of Article 6(e) public task in line with the guidance laid out in para 221 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2023. Any data collected during this search will be retained in line with our retention schedule which is available on request.
The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks, including enhanced DBS, prohibition check, qualifications (where applicable), medical fitness, identity and right to work. All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references which will be sought prior to interview. The ATLP is an equal opportunities employer.
Please find a link to our safeguarding policy which we would encourage you to read prior to applying to work in our organisation ATLP Safeguarding policy 2023/2024
