Question 1

What does the term exclusion mean?

Accepted Answer

There are three types of exclusion:   Internal exclusion/Isolation/Ready To Learn provisions/Inclusion rooms. Your child will have been removed from lessons to work in isolation under staff supervision.

External exclusion: Your child(ren) is removed from the school for a day (or longer) as a result of a serious incident or repeated failure to meet school expectations of behaviour.
 Permanent Exclusion: Your child(ren) have been removed from the school permanently.

Question 2

My child was sent home to ‘cool off after an incident’, is this ok?"

Accepted Answer

No - Any sending home is either a fixed term exclusion or permanent exclusion, there are no in-betweens – it is illegal for a school to carry out ‘unofficial’ exclusions.

Question 3

What can my child be excluded for?

Accepted Answer

The most common reasons given are:
 + Persistent disruptive behaviour + Physical assaults (staff or students) + Verbal and/or threatening behaviour (staff or students)   It is vitally important you get as much information as possible about the reason for the exclusion and under what label your child is being excluded.

Question 4

What happens if my child is excluded from school?

Accepted Answer

You must be informed of an exclusion as soon as possible, and this will normally be by telephone.
 Within one day, the headteacher must inform you in writing:

+ That your child has been excluded. + The type of exclusion and the reasons for it. + The headteacher's letter will tell you that you have the right to make representations to the Discipline Committee of the Governing Body about the decision to exclude your child.   If you are unhappy with the arrangements, you can contact the school (fixed term) and the local authority (permanent).   A fixed term exclusion is for a specific period (e.g. 2 days or 5 days) Your child(ren) may be excluded for one or more fixed periods (up to a maximum of 45 school days in a single academic year). 
Permanent exclusion is the most serious. This should only be the result of the child not following the behavioural policy (the school rules). It means your child is no longer allowed to attend the school and their name will be removed from the school roll. The Head Teacher’s decision will be reviewed by a panel of governors. You and your child will be given the chance to state your case at the meeting, and you are within your rights to be accompanied by someone to speak on your behalf, or to support you. This should not be denied to you. If the governors agree with the Head Teacher’s decision, then you have a legal right to an independent review.   With your child:   Discuss what happened in detail with your child, get as many details as possible and write down any questions you want answered. Ask to see the school’s behaviour policies (should be available on their website). Check what your child has told you against the information you have. Contact the school to discuss the reasons for exclusion or to arrange a meeting. On the first day back after an exclusion, the school will normally hold a re-integration meeting, which you should try to attend if possible. However, if you cannot attend your child should return, they should not be refused re-entry because you were unable to attend the meeting.   Seek support for this process if you are unsure. You don’t have to do this on your own.

Question 5

Do exclusions go on your child(ren) record?

Accepted Answer

No – in relation to going onto to college or post 16.
 Fixed-term exclusions should only be used where a child has seriously broken the school’s behavioural policy BUT it is not serious enough for a permanent exclusion and other sanctions such as detention are not appropriate. You have the right to appeal a fixed term exclusion decision through the school's governing body.

Question 6

My child(ren) has special educational needs, can they be excluded?"

Accepted Answer

If your child has a disability and is removed from school for more than 10 school days in a school year, they must get access to educational services. The services will be somewhere other than the school. This is true even if your child is excluded after a school board hearing.   Research by the Social Exclusion Unit reveals that children with special educational needs are six times more likely than the average child to be excluded from school. If you believe that your child has been excluded because the school failed to provide adequate support for their needs, which led to the exclusion, then you can follow the appeals process.
 If your child has been excluded from school for this reason you would also have grounds for bringing a Disability Discrimination case against the school in relation to the Equality Act 2010 legislation.
 These cases are dealt with by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (England) and Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales.

Question 7

The school are forcing me to agree to a managed move, can they do this?"

Accepted Answer

No - A managed move is a voluntary agreement between you, the school and your child, you cannot be forced to sign the agreement. Bring an advocate with you if you want support in the meeting.   This is your right.

Question 8

I think my child(ren) have been off-rolled, what does this mean?"

Accepted Answer

Off-rolling is the practice of removing a student from the school roll without a formal, permanent exclusion or by encouraging you to remove your child from the school roll, when the removal primarily benefits the school rather than the best interests of the student.

Question 9

What can I do if I think that my child has been excluded through discrimination?

Accepted Answer

It is illegal in England and Wales for schools to discriminate against students based upon their race, sex or physical ability when making a decision concerning school exclusion.   Make a complaint to the school using their complaints procedure.

Question 10

I don’t feel confident, am I able to bring a friend or advocate with me to meetings?"

Accepted Answer

Absolutely – You have the right to representation and for several reasons you may feel more supported with a friend/advocate. You do not need to inform the school you are bringing an advocate, but it may help with establishing positive relationships if you do.

Question 11

I’m worried my child is missing important lessons/educational experiences, what can I do?"

Accepted Answer

The school should set and mark work for the first 5 days.   If the exclusion will last longer than 5 days or is permanent the school must arrange full time education from day 6. They should also let you know of any alternative education arranged by them or your local authority – you are then responsible for ensuring your child attends.   If you are unhappy with the arrangements, you can contact the school (fixed term) and the local authority (permanent).

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