CYP Now - Letters to the Editor: Schools put on equal footing

Dismissal for so-called poor performance is a potentially fair reason irrespective of the business or organisation. Employers are free to design their own procedures and standards for performance management. In this context, government proposals can be seen as no more than an attempt to place schools on an equal footing with other employers.

But teaching staff will not be left unprotected. The process will still require the provision of appropriate training and support before any formal process is commenced. Teachers will still be entitled to receive warnings and given a reasonable time to improve.

The provision and communication of clear standards of performance would be required as part of any fair process.

Whether these reforms will amount to meaningful assistance to school management teams, only time will tell. However, the considerable costs associated with employment tribunals mean that schools will continue to proceed with the greatest caution in this very sensitive area.

Catherine Wilson, education partner, Thomas Eggar law firm

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