Education Appeal Panel Member chez London Borough of Lewisham

                         VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SCHOOL APPEALS PANELS

We are seeking to appoint volunteers to hear appeals for school admissions and exclusions. 

Our panels are made up of a mixture of lay people, parents of children at Lewisham schools, current or former governors, and current or former headteachers.

Experience as a panel member is desirable, but not essential, as training will be provided.

Successful appointees will:

• Have a strong sense of fairness and impartiality;
• Have good listening skills to balance arguments;
• Make decisions based on the facts and evidence;
• Be able to understand and apply legislation (training will be provided);
• Be good at working as part of a team, but able to express individual views;
• Have good interpersonal skills;
• Be able to ask probing questions in a sensitive manner;
• Have attention to detail;
• Be able to remain calm under pressure or in emotional situations;
• Be able to put parents and the local education authority’s case presenting representatives at ease;
• Have access to technology to join virtual hearings.

Appeal hearings are heard remotely via Microsoft Teams. Panellists receive a flat rate of £30 per hearing day to cover expenses.

To apply:

Please complete this Education Appeal Panel Member Application form and return it to [email protected] 

The closing date for applications is 11:59pm on 9 November 2025.

Next steps:

• A short informal group interview will take place remotely at 10.30am via Microsoft Teams on 21 November 2025.
• Remote Training via Microsoft Teams will take place as follows:

1. Admissions Appeals: 3 December 2025 (9.30am to 2.30pm (with at least half an hour break)
2. Exclusion Appeals: 4 December 2025 (9.30am to 2.30pm (with at least half an hour break)

Applicants must be available to attend training on both days. Any person who is not trained will not be allowed to act as a panel member.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email  [email protected] and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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