Statutory Staff Dismissal Committee & Dismissal Appeal Committee

The membership and proceedings of these committees must be agreed by the governing body.

These committees must be formally clerked.

The full governing body, with the exception of the Chair, will act as a pool of governors from which three will serve as the staff dismissal committee. A member of such a committee must take no part in any subsequent appeal hearing from their decision.

The dismissal appeal committee cannot have fewer governors than the first committee.

The headteacher is not entitled to be a member either of the staff dismissal or dismissal appeal committee.

Where it is not practicable for the staff dismissal committee and the dismissal appeal committee each to include three members of the governing body, the staff dismissal committee can include two members of the governing body. The number of governors on the appeal committee will then have to be at least two. Non governors may be members of these committees but cannot be given voting rights.

Terms of Reference

• The Staff Dismissal Committee will take any initial decision that any person employed to work at the school should cease to work there, and will hear any representations made about such a decision.
• The Staff Dismissal Appeal Committee will hear and decide any appeal from the Staff Dismissal Committee.

NB A detailed model disciplinary procedure is contained in the 1999 West Sussex Schools’ Personnel Manual, which has been adopted by this governing body. The importance of observing all procedural requirements in disciplinary/dismissal cases cannot be stressed too strongly. Guidance to be updated