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Exclusion from school

Reasons for exclusion

The decision to exclude lies with the head teacher. Head teachers can only exclude a pupil for:

  • a disciplinary reason (for example, their behaviour violates the school’s behaviour policy)
  • a behaviour outside of school
  • repeatedly disobeying academic instructions

They cannot exclude a pupil for:

  • academic performance/ability
  • additional needs a disability

Can the school send my child to be educated elsewhere?

Yes, schools have the power to:

  • send a pupil to another education provider at a different location to improve their behaviour without the parents having to agree
  • use a process called ‘managed move” to transfer a pupil to another school, provided they have the agreement of everyone involved, including the parents and the admission authority for the new school

Schools cannot:

  • force a parent to remove their child permanently from the school
  • keep a child out of school for any period of time without formally excluding

Can a school ask me to collect my child/send my child home early without following the formal exclusions process?

‘Informal’ or ‘unofficial’ exclusions are not allowed. Any exclusion of a pupil must follow the formal process including being formally recorded. Any fixed-period exclusion must have a stated end date.

Page last updated: 13 September 2023

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