This report compares the independent review panel (IRP) and first-tier tribunal exclusion appeals systems for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Parents can request a review of a school’s permanent exclusion decision through an independent review panel (IRP). Where the exclusion relates to disability discrimination (under the Equality Act 2010), parents can make a claim to the first-tier tribunal SEND. Such a claim may be in addition to, or as an alternative to, a request for an IRP.