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Accompaniment at a disciplinary hearing

Accompaniment at your disciplinary hearing is crucially important. During your teaching career you may be invited to attend a formal disciplinary interview, either following a period of formal investigation or due to misconduct.

How can I whistleblow at my school?

Whistleblowing may be a term you have heard about but might be unsure of what it involves. Whistleblowing is a term to describe alerting the relevant authorities if you think there are rules or procedures which your school is not adhering to and it is in the ‘public interest’ to alert them. One example of when it would be in the public interest is when you believe the school is breaking the law or covering up a wrongdoing.

Police investigation: do I need to inform my school?

During your teaching career you could be interviewed, investigated or even arrested by the police. Offences could range from speeding, drinking and driving, to sexual harassment or grooming of children online. In all serious cases, you will want to notify your line manager or headteacher about what has happened.

Prevent in schools

The Prevent strategy published by the Coalition government in 2011 aims to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by preventing people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It is still the most current duty where schools have a legal responsibility to “have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.”

Private tuition as a teacher

You may already provide private tuition or are looking into offering private tuition while employed by your school. Many teachers already do this. It could be an effective way to supplement your income or to teach another subject you are passionate about by offering music tuition or sports coaching. In this article, we outline factors to consider when offering private tuition and how to anticipate any difficulties you might encounter with your school.

Reasonable force in the classroom

Reasonable force in the classroom can be a subject which may cause confusion. You may be involved in situations where you have to physically move pupils due to safety concerns for yourself and others. You might be apprehensive to do so and might be unsure about what you are allowed to do.

Searching pupils at school

There may be some situations where you might have to search a pupil due to safety concerns. The Department for Education (DfE) has issued powers to schools which allows school staff to search pupils with or without their consent.

Suspended from school

You may be suspended from your school when you are being investigated for a disciplinary issue. You should normally be paid during this period and you should be told why you have been suspended. However, in some rare cases you may be suspended without pay if your employment contract says that this can happen.