Teachers Defence Service
How to Respond to Teaching RegulatorsPreparing your Defence or Mitigation case
There are a number of steps that teachers and lecturers who are preparing for a misconudct hearing can do to improve the overall prospects of success. See the boxes below for more information. For information on making applications to regulators for teaching status, see our other pages.
Teachers' Statements & Evidence
A teacher or lecturer who is responding to allegations will need to provide an admission and denial summary, and deal with each of the factual allegations in a detail. They should also comment on the witness statements of witnesses, including exhibits.
Witness Statements and Testimonials
Witness statements from witnesses of fact should be in a prescribed style with a declaration. Testimonials have similar requirements and the character witness should be made aware of the allegations. Some witnesses will need to attend in person.
Reflections and Remediation
A teacher will need to reflect on what went wrong and why things went wrong, commenting on the code of conduct and how they failed to live up to it. They also need to comment on how they will handle things differently in the future. Undertaking CPD and in-depth courses can help.
Future Risk, Confidence in Teaching
Regulatory panels undertake a risk assessment, looking at the public interest and future risk of repetition. Regulators must ensure that a teacher is suitable to continue to practise, upholding confidence in teaching and the regulation of teachers. Teachers can comment.
Select your Teaching Regulator for More Details
EWC
WALES
TRA
ENGLAND
GTCS
SCOTLAND
GTCNI
N. IRELAND
We defend regulated teachers, instructors and lecturers
Contact Us for More Guidance
For bespoke advice on how to prepare for a hearing, give us a call to see how we can assist you. We can provide legal advice and representation.