Are you or do you know of someone who would relish the opportunity of making a real difference in the lives of the children and young people of Wolverhampton? If so, we would love to hear from you!

School Appeals are held via remote video conference (Microsoft Teams).  On occasion you may be invited to sit on a panel for a face-to-face hearing. 

What’s involved?

Parents and carers have the legal right to appeal against the admission authority's decision to refuse their child a place at their preferred school. These appeals are heard by an independent panel of three individuals. As a panel member, you will read the case papers in advance of the hearing, actively participate in the appeal hearing and decide whether to uphold or dismiss the appeal. Panel members are supported by the Clerk to the Independent Panel prior to and throughout the hearing. 

Where

School Appeals are held via remote video conference (Microsoft Teams). On occasion you may be invited to sit on a panel for a face-to-face hearing.

When

As a panel member, you will need to be available during the day, Monday to Friday and willing to attend regular meetings throughout the year.
 
The appeal panels are arranged so that they are heard for half a day or a full day depending on the amount received. Occasionally you will need to be available for a full week.

Commitment/Duration

No minimum commitment or duration. 
Dates will be set in advance, and you are able to choose how often you sit on the panel. On occasions, there may be a requirement to attend appeal hearings for multiple consecutive days.

Requirements/skills sought

No specific experience or formal qualifications are required to apply as appropriate training will be provided. The only requirement is the time and desire to achieve the very best outcomes for our children and young people. 
We are looking for people from all walks of life with different experiences and skills who reflect our wonderfully diverse city and to ensure that our panels are inclusive and representative.
Applicants will be invited to observe a hearing prior to being appointed as a panel member.

Is there an induction/training package?

We offer full training.  This will include training with an accredited provider and shadowing/observations of hearings.

Expenses

The work is voluntary and panel members are eligible to claim expenses.

If you are interested, have some questions, or would like an informal chat, please contact us by emailing the School Appeals Team via Schoolappeals@wolverhampton.gov.uk.  

You can call us on 01902 554825 or apply to join our pool of panel member volunteers by filling out the application below. 

Application form

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Your details

Name

Title

Address

Contact

Other details

Do you have a full UK Driver’s License?
Do you have a Passport or Valid Photo ID?

Education and Employment

Do you have an up to date C.V. that you can upload?

Employment history

Job 1

Job 2

Job 3

Job 4

Job 5

Education history

Qualification 1

Qualification 2

Qualification 3

Qualification 4

Qualification 5

Equality and Diversity

The School Appeals Team collects equality information for monitoring purposes to create a more diverse service with a greater appreciation of equality and diversity.

The School Appeals Team is committed to the principles of fairness, consistency, and equality of opportunity. No applicants will be discriminated against regardless of their age, disability, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief or if you do not wish to complete this section.

Gender Identity

Gender

Age

Age Group

Disability

Do you consider yourself to have a disability?
State all types of impairment that apply to you

Ethnic origin

Are you:
specify ethnic origin
specify ethnic origin
specify ethnic origin
specify ethnic origin
specify ethnic origin

Religion

Are you:

Sexuality

Are you

Caring Responsibility

Caring responsibilities
Primary Carer of a child/ children (under 18) who is currently in school
Does the child attend a Wolverhampton school?

Governorships

Are you now or have you been (in the past 10 years) a school governor?

Further information

The Information you enter on this form will be used for monitoring purposes and will not be used in assessing and or scoring your application or at interview stage. This information is kept fully confidential and accessibility is strictly limited to the school appeals team.

The City of Wolverhampton Council School Appeals Team aims to provide an outstanding service for both customers and service users. We aim to provide a service that actively promotes and upholds Equality and Diversity, equality of opportunity and freedom from unlawful or unfair discrimination. The School Appeals Team recognises and respects the important and valuable contribution that people from all backgrounds and experiences bring to our service.

The Equality Act became law in October 2010 and protects nine protected characteristics: Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion or belief, Sex and Sexual Orientation.

The Equalities Act (2010) also introduced a Public Sector Equality Duty, which places responsibilities on public sector organisations to eliminate discrimination, victimisation and harassment, to advance equal opportunity and to foster good relations between people who share protected characteristics and people who do not share them.

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