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. 

Being a panel member is a position of responsibility, as the appeal panel performs a judicial function and must be transparent, accessible, independent, impartial, and operate according to the principles of natural justice. They are a great way to give back to the community, whilst giving you, the opportunity to support the education system in your area. 

Whilst this is a voluntary position, full training is provided to make sure you have the skills and knowledge you need to do great work.

Who can be a panel member? 

The independent appeal panel has a chair and at least two other panel members. A panel must consist of the following categories of people, with at least one person from each category: 

  • Lay people (this means someone without personal experience in the management of any school or provision of education in any school, for example a school governor or other volunteer in a school can be on the panel.
  • People who have experience in education, who are acquainted with educational conditions in the local authority area, or who are parents of registered pupils at school.
  • Whatever your experience we would love to hear from you. 

Who cannot be a panel member? 

Due to the need to keep the process independent of the admissions authority there are some restrictions on who can become a panel member. A person cannot become a panel member if they are: 

  • A member of the local authority which is the admission authority or in whose area the school in question is located.
  • A member or former member of the governing body of the school in question.
  • Employed by the local authority or governing body of the school in question, other than as a teacher or teaching assistant. 
  • Any person who has, or at any time has had, any connection with the authority, school or any person in sub-paragraph c) above which might reasonably be taken to raise doubts about that person’s ability to act impartially.
  • Any person who has not attended training required by the admission authority arranging the appeal panel.

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 face to face training and shadowing/observations of hearing.

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

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

Panel Member Information

Please indicate which weekdays you would be available

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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