megaphone icon updated on 4 April 2024
Statutory/mandatory for: Maintained schools Academies Free schools Independent schools Pupil referral units

Get information on how to review your school's staff capability policy, including questions you can ask. Save time with our policy checklist, and use our model policy to see what good looks like.

What this policy needs to do 

When carrying out capability procedures, governors must make sure they abide by the Equality Act 2010, including the duty to make reasonable adjustments for staff with disabilities.

Aside from this, there are no statutory requirements for what the policy needs to include, just that you need to have one with procedures in place. 

The following is based on the DfE's model policy on teacher appraisal and capability, and the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Capability procedure

What happens at the