Kingsley Napley LLP is delighted to have been reappointed to provide ‘presenting officer’ services to The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) following a competitive tender process.
The TRA is responsible for regulating the teaching profession on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education. As such, it has powers to investigate and, where appropriate, sanction teachers accused of serious misconduct so as to protect pupils and maintain public confidence in the teaching profession.
Kingsley Napley has been working with the TRA (and its predecessor bodies) since 2010, advising on investigation strategy, drafting allegations, collating documentary evidence, obtaining witness statements and ultimately presenting the cases before independent professional conduct panels. We have been reappointed to provide these ‘presenting officer’ services for a minimum of a further two years starting from 1 February 2024.
Melinka Berridge, Head of the Regulatory team at Kingsley Napley, comments: “This is great news as the TRA has long been a valued client of the firm. We have invested considerably in processes, systems and people to enable us to fulfil the TRA’s exacting service requirements and we are very pleased the TRA has recognised our track record and wishes to continue working with us. As a champion of diversity in legal services I was particularly pleased that the TRA recognised the firm’s efforts to deliver an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. My thanks and congratulations go to all in the KN team involved.”
According to the TRA’s latest annual report, it received over 1038 referrals of teacher misconduct in the year 2022-23, of which 482 cases were investigated for serious misconduct. It held 207 fitness to practise hearings in the period, resulting in 137 teacher prohibition orders.
Kingsley Napley’s Regulatory team acts for both regulators and professionals in the field of professional discipline and is a recognised leader in this field. The team is retained by the Education Workforce Council, the General Dental Council, the General Optical Council, the Architects Registration Board and the General Pharmaceutical Council in addition to the TRA. Kingsley Napley also regularly advises law firms and lawyers, accounting firms and accountants, doctors, and surveyors as well other professional firms and experts on regulatory compliance, investigations and enforcement matters involving their respective regulators.
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