Independent School Appeals Panels Member

Panel members can be either of the following:

• lay people (someone without personal experience in the management of any school or provision of education in any school (except as a school governor or in another voluntary capacity))

• 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.

Panel members provide their availability against set dates and stipulate the number of days they are willing to serve at a time. On average panel members are asked to serve around one to two days per month but during the busy periods this will increase and on occasion for blocks of 4 or 5 consecutive days. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are regular days but during the busy period panels are held every day of the week.

You will receive full training on the School Appeals Codes. New members will also observe several days of hearings and the panels decision making process prior to serving on a panel.

Volunteers say:

A positive experience in helping others.

An interesting, purposeful and rewarding experience.

Volunteering improves my self esteem and enables me to feel of value and this all impacts positively upon my wellbeing.

Please note, this role requires both an employer and character reference. If this is a difficulty for you, please contact the Volunteer Team on 01823 359200 / volunteer@somerset.gov.uk