LK Training & Consultancy: A little about me
Lee Kennedy is the owner of LK Training & Consultancy, and also an active local authority representative for one of the largest councils in England, participating in meetings where school governors have a legal duty to consider a pupil’s suspensions or permanent exclusion.
Lee has also been an LA representative at independent reviews where a panel is required to review a governing board’s decision not to reinstate a pupil.
With over a decade of experience, Lee has provided comprehensive, impartial advice and extensive training on statutory exclusion guidance to many senior leaders and governors, which has consistently received positive feedback.
As an LA representative, I have noticed over the years that when parents requested an independent review following their child’s permanent exclusion, the independent panel would recommend or direct the governing board to reconsider their decision rather than uphold it. Why does this really matter?
The experience of scrutiny from a review panel can be demanding and exposing for governing boards and headteachers. More often than not any challenges relate to procedures set out in statutory guidance, which can evoke questions around evidence of recent and robust training for governors.
The process from the point of the Headteacher’s decision to exclude to any reconsideration by the governors following a review can take several months, creating additional distress, and sometimes tension between families and schools as well as delays in permanent education placements for pupils.
In some cases where governing board decisions are quashed, the review panel can impose a £4,000 adjustment to the school’s budget, which adds pressure to already tight budgets and money that could have been spent more productively elsewhere in the school.
Why did I start LK Training & Consultancy?
The numbers speak for themselves…
Parental requests for independent reviews following a permanent exclusion has risen year on year across England since the Covid-19 pandemic.
And interlinked again to the rise in the number of suspensions issued across schools in England in the past 8 years apart from a dip during the pandemic.
These figures will likely be directly linked to the year on year rise in the number of permanent exclusions across schools in England since the pandemic.
There really hasn’t been a better and more more important time to take up some training where we will take a comprehensive look at the requirements set out in the statutory exclusion guidance published by the Department for Education. Whether you’re a governor, headteacher or clerk, book your session with LK Training & Consultancy today!