Ms Pamela Tipchu v London Borough of Redbridge — 2021

The tribunal considered a single complaint of pregnancy and maternity discrimination arising from the respondent’s decision in late August 2019 to remove the claimant from teaching Year 13 A-level Biology classes. It found that the claimant remained Head of Biology, kept the same number of teaching hours overall, and suffered no reduction in pay or status. The tribunal’s primary view was that the timetable change was not unfavourable treatment, although it also considered causation in case it was.

On the evidence, the tribunal found that the Biology department had experienced poor A-level results for three consecutive years, that the claimant’s appraisals and monitoring had identified concerns about Key Stage 5 performance, and that the respondent had provided support and development over time. After the August 2019 results, senior staff analysed outcomes and concluded that classes taught by the claimant had performed more poorly than those taught by another Biology teacher. The tribunal accepted the respondent’s evidence that the timetable changes were made in response to those results and in the interests of pupil outcomes.

The tribunal rejected the claimant’s case that the change was because of her pregnancy or impending maternity leave. It found that the decision was made after publication of the A-level results, that other staff also had timetable changes following exam performance, and that the claimant’s pregnancy played no part in the decision. The complaint was therefore dismissed.