Newly qualified school teachers registered with the EWC in Wales must meet the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership during their induction period. The EWC hears appeals from school teachers who have failed to meet the Standards, or need more time to do so.

The EWC has a Code of Professional Conduct and Practice which is a guide to the standards that learners, young people, parents, and the public can expect of registered persons, and helps education practitioners understand what others expect of them as professionals.

A local authority (described as ‘the Appropriate Body’ for induction purposes) can decide a school teacher has failed to meet the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership appropriately, or needs more time to meet them, during their induction period.

If an Appropriate Body decides that a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) has failed to complete their statutory induction period satisfactorily, the NQT can appeal to us against that decision.

The EWC is responsible for hearing the induction appeals of school teachers.

The EWC can decide to:

• allow an appeal
• turn down the appeal
• give the school teacher more time to meet the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership

If the appeal is turned down, the school teacher’s registration in Wales will be removed permanently. This means they can no longer work as a school teacher in a maintained, or non-maintained special school in Wales. 

NQTs have 20 working days to appeal against a decision to fail them.

Read the guidance and procedures on induction appeals.

Forthcoming induction appeals

There are no upcoming induction appeals.