The law on permanent exclusions can be complex. It has to be interpreted by a Independent Review Panel, none of whom are likely to be legally qualified.
An experienced Clerk with sound knowledge of exclusion law is essential.
Educationappeals Dotcom has a team of experienced truly independent professionals who have been clerking exclusion appeals for over 25 years.
Educationappeals Dotcom believes that the best service is provided when we manage the entire process. We are here to provide a service that suits your needs.
This is what we can do for your Authority or Academy:
- Recruit suitably qualified panel members who have no connection with the school. We will check the last date they were trained to ensure that they are guidance compliant. Liaise with all parties for a convenient date.
- Send out an invitation letter to the parent/carer inviting and encouraging them to attend the hearing. The letter includes advice about the hearing, an agenda, as well as who will be sitting on the panel. We would also advise the appellant to free advice both locally and nationally. We will also send the appellants give the link to our useful advice booklet, also the link to where parents can download a copy of the current exclusions guidance.
- Liaise with the “organising authority” (ie the Admission Authority) regarding the appointment of an SEN expert, if one has been requested by the appellant.
- Send out all the paperwork to the parents and the panel.
- Liaising at all times with the Local Authority’s Exclusion Officer (if applicable)
- Book translators.
- If requested, give independent advice to parents.
- The Clerk will attend the hearing. Ensure a smooth operation which is guidance compliant, take contemporaneous notes, offer procedural and legal advice to the panel, record the decision, the reason for the decision and voting.
- An initial decision will be e mailed to all parties by the next working day and a full detailed letter will follow usually within 5 working days.
- Minutes form part of the detailed decision letter which is usually at around 10 pages long.
- Finally a file will be produced complete with copies of all letters, notes and minutes for the Authority to archive for five years