For applicants and student teachers

You may be reading this following our initial letter to tell you that an investigation is starting. You will find an Information Form attached.

This form is an opportunity for you to supply your first thoughts about the information that has been referred to us. We may use what you tell us to help inform our investigation and ensure we gather all relevant information.

For example:

• you might admit all or part of what happened which will help bring the investigation process to a conclusion quicker
• you might know of someone that saw what happened or was involved and want to highlight this to us to ensure that we speak to them as part of our investigation process

It is up to you whether you want to engage with us in this way. You might feel that you are not able to respond, have nothing to say or do not want to say anything. It is fine for you to take this position. You will have the opportunity to respond again at a later stage once we have carried out investigations.

We cannot advise on what to include in your statement.

If you are having difficulties completing the information form, please get in touch using our contact form.

We will investigate. This includes reading the Information form.

Once the investigation is complete, we will send you a report containing the information that we have gathered. You may be provided with an interim report, in which case you will have 28 days to provide a response. We will consider that response and will then produce a final report.

You then have 28 days to submit a final response for the Panel to consider if you choose to do so.‍

Learn more about the investigation process and panel consideration meetings.

Each case is different. We can’t tell you precisely how long the investigation will take. On average:

• cases which lead to no further action take around 6 months
• cases which require a decision by a Fitness to Teach Panel will take longer than this

We will provide you with updates on the progress of our investigation and will be in touch once it has been completed to explain the outcome and next steps.

Will give you as much information as we can about the timescale. If you have a prospective employer and would like us to keep them informed of progress, please let us know.

You have the right to withdraw your application. If you re-apply in the future, you will be required to go through the Fitness to Teach process before this can happen.

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 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

Read more about the Fitness to Teach process, including how long the investigation process takes and who we tell about Fitness to Teach cases.