Exclusions from school

Information for Parents

When your child is suspended or permanently excluded from school it can be a very difficult, upsetting and worrying time for you, your child and your family.

In most cases, other action should have been tried before suspending or excluding a pupil, however; it might be necessary for the Head Teacher to take immediate action if:

• The pupil has broken the school’s behaviour policy (the school rules)
• The pupil remaining in school would have serious harm to their education or welfare
• The pupil remaining in school would have serious harm to the education or welfare of others

Any suspension or permanent exclusion should be issued on the principles of being:

• Rational,
• Reasonable,
• Fair
• Proportionate.

Suspensions and permanent exclusions must be recorded officially to help identify where support is needed and allow everybody the opportunity to exercise their rights.

For guidance on school exclusions, visit GOV.uk.

There are two types of exclusion: 

Suspension - Where your child has been suspended for a fixed number of days and will return to school.

• Suspensions Guide
• Suspension - Parents booklet

Permanent - Where your child is excluded permanently and would not return to the school.

• Permanent Exclusion Guidance
• Permanent Exclusion - Parents Booklet

Information about alternatives to suspensions or permanent exclusions.

There can be alternatives to suspensions or permanent exclusions within the school or through Fair Access; including managed moves or alternative provisions.

Managed Moves

Sometimes parents and schools may agree that a new start in a different school would benefit a child who is at risk of suspension or permanent exclusion. The transfer can then be arranged between the two schools. This is known as a ‘managed move’.

Guidance is clear that schools must not use the threat of suspension or permanent exclusion to get parents to take their child out of school. You do not have to agree to a managed move if you do not want to. This process will be managed through the Fair Access process.

Fair Access process

The FAP is a local agreement for placing some of the City’s most vulnerable or challenging children into the most appropriate education provision as quickly as possible. The protocol must also cover provision for children who are not yet ready to go back into mainstream schooling.

Permanently excluded children who are ready to reintegrate back into a mainstream school will have their case considered through the FAP. Children considered through the Fair Access Process are given higher priority for school places and may be offered at oversubscribed schools.

• Fair Access Protocol