Ultimate sanctions at Tower College are Temporary Exclusion and Permanent Exclusion. Neither sanction is used lightly. Only the Principal, in consultation with the Chairman of Governors, has the power to exclude a child from school. If the Principal excludes a child, the parents are informed immediately, giving reasons for the exclusion. At the same time, the Principal makes it clear to the parents that they can, if they wish, appeal against the decision to the Chairman of Governors. The school informs the parents how to make any such appeal. (See Exclusion Review Procedure below). If the School commences an investigation which may lead to a fixed term temporary exclusion or to permanent exclusion the Principal must inform the parent without delay. This will ideally be done by telephone and the telephone call will be followed by a letter within one school day. The letter will include information about:
the nature of the offence and the results of any investigation to date;
that the sanction of a fixed term temporary exclusion or permanent exclusion may be imposed;
the parents’ right to state their case to the Principal, whom they should contact to do this, and the latest date that the parent may give a written statement to the Chairman of Governors;
the parents’ right to see their child’s school record under the Education (School Records) Regulations 1989). Under these regulations, the Principal must comply with such a request within 15 school days, although in exclusion cases compliance should be prompt.
If the School decides (after completing the investigation or as a result of new evidence and further investigation) that it is necessary to extend a fixed period temporary exclusion or to convert it into a permanent exclusion, the Principal will (on behalf of the Governors) write again to the parent with the reasons for this decision.
The decision to suspend for a fixed term or to exclude will be notified to the parent in writing with reasons. If the School determines that a child should be suspended for a fixed period, the Principal will provide the parent in writing with information as to:
the period of the Temporary Exclusion;
the arrangements, such as setting work, to allow the child to continue their education during the Temporary Exclusion. The correspondence must be easily intelligible and in plain English.
TOWER COLLEGE REVIEW PROCEDURE FOR EXCLUSIONS
These guidelines are non-contractual in nature. They have been prepared for the information and guidance of all who may become concerned in a review hearing following expulsion or the removal of the pupil at the request of the School.
Applying for a Review
Parents/guardians must apply for a review of a decision to expel or require removal, using the ONLINE Request for Review Form. This form is available below. The Principal and the Chairman of Governors will receive this form as an email. The online submission must be sent within 7 days of receipt of the written notification of the decision in question, which shall contain reasons for that decision.
The Principal will immediately inform the 3 members of the Review Committee.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances the review will take place within 15 days of the expulsion or removal and may be sooner if convenient to all parties.
Each member of the Review Committee for Expulsions will be supplied with a copy of all appropriate documents including a conduct file of the pupil. The parents shall be entitled to copies of all those documents in advance of the meeting except for those which, in the opinion of the Principal, should not be disclosed.
The Review Committee
This will normally consist of a three-member sub-committee of the Governing Body. The Committee members will have no previous detailed knowledge of the case or of the pupil, parents or guardian, and will not include the Chairman of Governors.
The Review Hearing
This will take place at the School premises.
Those present at the review hearing will usually be:
Members of the Review Committee
The Principal and her nominees
Parents or those with parental responsibility
Clerk to the meeting
The pupil may, where appropriate, be invited to attend the hearing. The parents and pupil may be accompanied by a friend or relation and by a member of the School staff if desired. That person will attend as a friend not as a representative.
The proceedings will be chaired by one member of the Review Committee and will be conducted in an informal manner, and all statements made at the hearing will be unsworn. The meeting will not be sound recorded, but the Clerk will be asked to keep minutes of the proceedings. All present will be entitled, should they wish, to write their own notes. The hearing will be directed at all times by the Chair of the Committee who will conduct the hearing in such a manner as to ensure that all those present have the opportunity of asking questions and making comments.
All those attending the hearing are expected to show courtesy, restraint and good manners. The Chair may in his/her discretion adjourn or terminate the hearing. If the hearing is terminated the original decision will stand.
The Committee will consider each of the queries raised by the parents and pupil so far as these are relevant to: a) whether the facts of the cases, so far as they related to the pupil, were sufficiently proved when the decision was taken as to expel or require removal of the pupil. The standard of proof will be the balance of probability; and b) whether the sanction was warranted, i.e. proportionate to the breach of discipline or other events that are found to have occurred. The requirements of natural justice will apply.
If the Principal considers it necessary in the interests of the individual or of the School that the identity of any person should be withheld, the Chair of the Committee may require that the name of that person and the reasons for withholding it be written down and shown to the Review Committee. The Chair in his/her discretion may direct that the person be identified.
A member of the School staff may speak generally about the pupil’s character, conduct and achievements at the school if s/he is willing to do so.
When the Committee Chair decides that all issues have been sufficiently discussed and if by then there is no consensus s/he may adjourn the hearing.
The Review Committee are able to make one of two decisions: 1) Uphold the Principal’s decision to exclude, or 2) Request that the Principal reviews the exclusion decision in light of any new evidence that may have come to light. Parents will be informed of this by the Chair of Governors by letter or telephone within 5 days of the hearing.
Please complete the ONLINE FORM: Request for Review Following Exclusion