This FAQ is for teachers and college lecturers who have been referred to us about their fitness to teach.

Taking part in the Fitness to Teach process

We understand that this can be a stressful time. We recommend that you take part in the Fitness to Teach process. Your participation is critical for the right outcome to be reached. We encourage you to engage early with the investigation and supply as much relevant information and insight as possible.

We investigate to find out what has happened and establish what action, if any, should be taken in the public interest. At the start of the investigation, we inform you, your employer and the referrer that an investigation has begun. You have 14 days to supply an initial response to the allegation.

We will gather information that is relevant to the allegations to establish if your fitness to teach is impaired. Alongside looking into whether what is alleged happened, we will be looking into your fitness to teach now. If you recognise that you have made a mistake or have done something wrong, we will investigate what you have done to: 

  • reflect openly and honestly on events
  • learn and make changes to ensure there will be no repetition