Are you interested in becoming a lay member of our pool of independent review panel members?

Location: Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Working pattern: Occasional

Parents can request that an Independent Review Panel be convened to review the decision made by a Governing Body to permanently exclude their child from school.

Volunteer school exclusion review panel members hold hearings to review these decisions.

We are currently looking to recruit ‘lay members’ to our pool of volunteers, to act as Chair for Independent Review of Exclusion Hearings. 

Panels do not have the power to overturn a permanent exclusion but they assess whether the decision to permanently exclude a pupil has been lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair.

If, following a hearing they decide that a decision was illegal, irrational or there has been procedural impropriety, they have the power to:

• Uphold a decision
• Recommend to a governing body that the decision it made be reconsidered
• Direct the governing body to reconsider its decision

Each panel is comprised of three people, one of who is a:

• Lay member – the panel is chaired by a lay member who has not worked in any school in a paid capacity, disregarding any experience as a school governor or volunteer

• School Governor – someone who is currently a school governor (or been a governor within the last five years)

• Headteacher – someone who is currently a headteacher or has been a headteacher within the last five years)

The work is not paid but expenses for travel will be reimbursed and refreshments are provided. Hearings take place during the working day and during term-time only. You are free to accept or refuse any hearing offered to you.

Panel Members must have undergone training to be able to act in this role, this takes place every two years and the next session is due to take place via Zoom on Tuesday 28 February 2023 between 10.00am and 4.00pm.

Skills and experience which are necessary for the role include being able to:

• communicate effectively with a wide range of people
• assess information and identify key points of the case
• ask probing questions
• be impartial and sensitive
• respect the need for appropriate confidentiality

How to apply

If you are interested in serving on these Panels, further details and application forms are available by contacting the Appeals team as follows:

• Telephone number 01743 252924
• e-mail democracy@shropshire.gov.uk or 
• write to Appeals team, Legal and Democratic Services, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Shrewsbury SY2 6ND