• Contact Us

DfE Publishes Consultation on Regulating the Teaching Profession

on Friday, 11 February 2022.

The Department for Education is seeking views on proposed changes to the teacher regulation regime operated by the Teaching Regulation Agency.

The TRA is responsible for considering the most serious cases of misconduct, and has the power to impose a prohibition order preventing teachers who have committed such misconduct from engaging in teaching work. 

What Do the Key Consultation Proposals Include?

  • The scope of the current teacher misconduct provisions should be broadened in order to include individuals who commit misconduct whilst not employed as teachers, but who have previously carried out teaching work (for example, teachers on a career break or those acting as supply teachers or who are between jobs).
  • Include a wider range of education settings offering education to pupils under the age of 18 within the scope of the provisions. Education settings which are currently excluded and which stand to now be included in the scope of the teacher misconduct provisions include online education providers, providers of post-16 education such as Special Post-16 Institutions and Independent Training Providers, and further education colleges.
  • To enable internal referrals of serious misconduct in order to remove the requirement that the Secretary of State can only investigate allegations that are referred in. This would allow DfE officials who uncover serious misconduct in the normal course of their duties to refer that conduct directly to the Secretary of State in order to be investigated.

The consultation closes on 14 March 2022 and responses should be submitted using the online form.


For more information, please contact Richard Hewitt in our Employment Law team on 0117 314 5320, or complete the form below.

Get in Touch

First name(*)
Please enter your first name.
Last name(*)
Invalid Input
Email address(*)
Please enter a valid email address
Telephone
Please insert your telephone number.
How would you like us to contact you?

Invalid Input
How can we help you?(*)
Please limit text to alphanumeric and the following special characters: £.%,'"?!£$%^&*()_-=+:;@#`

See our privacy page to find out how we use and protect your data.

Invalid Input