Independent review panels: membership and procedures

Last reviewed on 10 September 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
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Parents have the right to request a review of the governing board's decision not to reinstate a pupil after exclusion. The review is done by an independent review panel (IRP). Find out what to expect from the IRP and what the outcomes might be.

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Contents

  1. Convening an IRP
  2. Membership 
  3. What training should I have had?
  4. Required notice to parties
  5. Should an SEN expert be present?
  6. Circulation of documents
  7. Possible outcomes
  8. Written notification to parties about the decision

The information here can be found in sections 8 and 9 of the statutory guidance on exclusions published by the Department for Education (DfE). We have also taken advice from One Education when writing this article.

Convening an IRP

The responsibility for arranging an independent review panel (IRP) meeting lies with the local authority (LA) for maintained schools and the academy trust for academies.

Any application outside of that timeframe must be rejected, except where the parents made a claim for discrimination under the Equality Act regarding the exclusion. In that case, parents can apply for an IRP within 15 school days of a final determination

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