Thomas Rotherham College Disciplinary Process
Thomas Rotherham College expects commitment to learning and high standards of student behaviour. These are
set out in the Learning Agreement, which your son/daughter signed at enrolment, and the Student Code of
Conduct.
Informal Measures
If we have concerns about your son’s/daughter’s learning their teacher will talk to them about what is going wrong.
Formal Measures
Notice to Improve
If your son/daughter does not comply with their Learning Agreement then their teacher will talk to them and issue a
Notice to Improve in the form of a letter sent home.
Cause for Concern
If a Notice to Improve has not resulted in the desired improvement or if misconduct has occurred, your
son’s/daughter’s teacher, will interview them, and agree action points. A letter and a copy of the action points will
be sent home. It is possible to be issued with up to 3 Cause for Concerns (by different subjects) before moving on
to Disciplinary Referral.
Disciplinary Referral
If the actions put into place by the Cause for Concern have not been effective or there is an act of serious
misconduct, your son/daughter will be issued with a Disciplinary Referral, usually by a Support Manager. You will be
informed and invited to this meeting and a copy of the Referral will be sent home.
Disciplinary Panel
If your son/daughter fails to respond positively to the actions agreed at the Disciplinary Referral or further serious
misconduct has taken place, a Disciplinary Panel will be convened, consisting of 2 senior members of staff. Your
son/daughter will be asked to attend with a parent/carer or representative from outside college.
The Panel has the authority to take a variety of actions which can include:
1. Suspending your son/daughter’s exam entries (Non-Entry Status)
2. Withdrawing your son/daughter from a particular course
3. Giving the student a strict course of action with SMART targets and a review date
4. Asking your son/daughter to leave
Your son/daughter has the right to appeal against a Panel decision by writing to either the Principal or Vice Principal
Teaching and Learning, within five working days of the verdict. The Principal or Vice Principal can either uphold the
original decision or decide that the appeal gives the grounds for a new hearing to review the decision. A different
member of SMT from the ones who sat on the panel and a member of the College Corporation will hear the appeal.
Their decision is final.
Cases of extreme misconduct
Violence, aggression, discriminatory behaviour or any other forms of extreme misconduct towards any member of
staff or fellow student will not be tolerated. Any form of criminal activity on the college site is likely to result in
automatic removal from college. Where the college is convinced that criminal actions/activities have taken place the
police will be informed.
The Principal (or authorised deputy) has the authority to suspend a student at any time for extreme misconduct
that needs further investigation; this allows a ‘cooling off’ period and for comments regarding the matter to be
collected from the relevant staff. A Disciplinary Panel will then convene (as detailed) with the same set of possible
actions.