What is the role of a chair in a whistle-blowing investigation?
We put our member's question to two of our associate education experts, Fred Birkett and Bill Dennison, who offered practical advice on what a chair of governors could and should do in this situation.
Back in 2012, The Guardian reported that whistle-blowing was on the rise in education, with the whistle-blowing charity Public Concern at Work noting a significant increase in calls it receives relating to schools.
In a recent report, Public Concern at Work said it received the most calls from teachers and teaching assistants, with the most common concerns relating to safeguarding and the health and safety of pupils. It noted that many callers from academies were unsure how to raise their concerns outside the school, and said that the perceived difficulty of holding schools to account under the current system can act as a “barrier for responsible whistle-blowers”.
Do you think whistle-blowing in schools is still on the rise? Why might this be?
Members of The Key for School Governors can read our full article here. Members of our school leader service can find out more about whistle-blowing procedures here.