Collecting and circulating evidence
The clerk will request written evidence related to the suspension or exclusion from the school and from the pupil’s parents. Evidence should be collected in advance and circulated at least 5 days before the meeting, if possible.
This is set out in the statutory suspensions and exclusions guidance (September 2023) (page 41).
As a general rule, either the headteacher or the pastoral head is responsible for submitting the school's evidence – it's not the clerk’s role to decide what evidence the panel should review.
Our expert Trevor Bailey explained this, and also gave us the advice in the next section.
What should be submitted as evidence?
The type of evidence required depends on the case. Where one type of evidence might be directly relevant in one case, it might be irrelevant in another.
If a pupil has committed a very serious breach of