GTC: Hearings
The hearing: Professional Competence Committee or Professional Conduct Committee
These three-person committees normally meet in public. The exceptions are:
- when there are reasons why all or part of the hearing should be held in private, such as to protect child witnesses; or
- when a teacher admits guilt, requests for the case to be resolved without a hearing and the Registrar and committee agree that this is in the interests of the public and justice.
On each committee there are two registered teachers and one lay person, who is not in the teaching profession. Proceedings are carried out in an investigative rather than an adversarial way. The GTC seek to safeguard the dignity of the teacher and all other parties involved.
The teacher has a right to participate in the proceedings and to be represented. Hearing committees consider in detail whether the allegations can be factually supported. If a case is proved the committee then considers whether a disciplinary sanction is necessary and the level of sanction that is appropriate.
In considering which if any sanction to issue, committees will use the GTC’s indicative sanctions guidance, and consider factors such as whether:
- the teacher has insight into failings;
- there is any genuine expression of regret or apologies;
- the behaviour has seriously affected the education and/or well being of pupils;
- there has been an abuse of position or trust; and
- there is evidence of harmful deep-seated personality or attitudinal problems.
After a hearing
The GTC posts information about any disciplinary order on their website for a period of three months after the hearing. If an investigating committee finds that there is no case to answer, or that a hearing committee made no finding against them, then the GTC will, at the teacher’s request, post this finding too.
The GTC hold a record of current and expired disciplinary orders. Where an order has expired, it is clearly marked as such. For employers, the record is available through a secure password controlled area of their website. For the public, the record is available on request to the GTC professional standards support team.
Rights of appeal
Appeals to the High Court following a Disciplinary Order
On receiving a disciplinary order, the teacher has 28 days to lodge an appeal with the High Court, which has the power to uphold, revoke or amend a disciplinary order.
Restoration to the GTC Register
If a teacher's name has been removed from the register indefinitely through a prohibition order, the teacher may, after an interval of time, apply for restoration of their ability to register. No such application may be made before the end of two years from the date of removal or according to any other timescale applied by the committee.
Induction appeals procedure
If a newly qualified teacher (NQT) wishes to appeal against a decision of their employer that they have failed their induction period or that their induction period should be extended, they can appeal to the GTC. The GTC has the following options:
- allow the appeal;
- dismiss the appeal; or
- extend the induction for such a period as it thinks fit.
The NQT has the right to participate in the proceedings and to be represented. They can also request that the appeal is determined without a hearing. The Council’s disciplinary role is carried out in the public interest. Because of this, some details of forthcoming GTC hearings are published on the GTC’s website. The following information is posted in the foyer of the Council’s Birmingham and London offices and on the Council’s website three working days before the hearing:
- the teacher’s name
- the name of the school referring the case; and
- the hearing committee the teacher is to appear before.
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