A Guide to School Exclusions in Hillingdon

Headteachers, Governors and Local Authorities must by Law, have made reference to DfE guidance (Sept 2022) when making decisions on exclusions and administering the exclusion process. Whilst the guidance does not have the force of statute, there is an expectation that it will be followed unless there is a good reason to depart from it. For further information around school exclusions, please contact The Exclusions Support Team via email - exclusionsupport@hillingdon.gov.uk 

Types of Exclusion

Suspension - A fixed period exclusion refers to a pupil who is excluded from a school but remains on the register of that school, because he or she is expected to return when the exclusion period is completed. In line with the DfE Guidance Schools must now report all suspensions to the local authority. The form for this is available LEAP

Permanent Exclusion - A permanent exclusion refers to a pupil who is excluded from school and his or her name removed from the register once the governor review meetings and any panels / appeals have been concluded. A pupil who has been permanently excluded would then be educated at another school or via some other form of provision such as The Skills Hub, within Hillingdon. To inform the local authority of a child being permanently excluded the appropriate form should be completed via LEAP

Lunchtime Suspension - Lunchtime suspensions are when a young person is suspended from school during the period of lunchtime. Lunchtime suspensions are counted as half a day and this must be recorded by the school.

When is exclusion not appropriate?

· Minor incidents such as failure to do homework

· Poor Academic performance

· Lateness or truancy

· Pregnancy

· Breaches of School uniform rules or rules on appearance except where these are persistent and in open defiance of such rules

· When an offence took place out of school hours and away from school, unless these significantly impact on the school.

· Punishing pupils for the behaviour of the parents, for example by extending a suspension until parents agree to attend a meeting.

· Where a school cannot meet a young person's EHC plan's needs, therefore an Interim review should be called by the school.

Permanent Exclusion

A permanent exclusion is in response to serious breaches of the school's behaviour policy, if allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil as well as others within the school. Permanent exclusion should be only be considered as the 'last resort', this means that school have exhausted all alternative options of support and there is nothing further the school can do. There will however be exceptional circumstances where, in the Headteachers judgement, it is appropriate to exclude for a 1st or 'one off' offence. This might include:

· Serious actual or threatened violence against another pupil or a member of staff

· Sexual abuse or assault

· Supplying an illegal drug

· Carrying an offensive weapon or prohibited item

Reasons for Exclusion

The DfE have issued example exclusion reasons in the guidance from September 2022, outlining the full reasons young people can be excluded and allow us to better understand why young people are getting excluded from school. The reasons a school can Suspend or Permanently Exclude a pupil are:

· Physical assault against a pupil

· Physical assault against an adult

· Verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against a pupil

· Verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult

· Use, or threat of use, of an offensive weapon or prohibited item that has been prohibited by a school's behaviour policy

· Bullying

· Racist abuse

· Abuse against sexual orientation or gender reassignment

· Abuse relating to disability

· Persistent Disruptive Behaviour

Good practice guide options for Schools - LEAP

When there becomes a common theme of fixed term exclusions or a young person at risk of permanent exclusion, there are several options that school can consider before deciding to permanently exclude. The number of options that are available for schools to consider include:

· Pastoral support plan

· Managed Move (agreed by schools)

· Solution focused approach

· Personalised timetable

· Peer Mentoring support

· Internal inclusion

· Restorative approaches

· Referral to Targeted Programmes (Adolescent Services)

· Education Psychologist Involvement

· Referral to Stronger Families Keyworking Service

· Mental Health and Well-being questionnaire (Accessed by Anna Freud Centre)

· Interim Review for pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan

· Reintegration Meeting (robust reintegration following fixed term exclusion)

· Trauma Informed Approach with young people

· Contextual Safeguarding Approaches

· Short time commissioned placement in an Alternative Provision

· Behaviour Support Plan

All information around these proposed options for schools can be accessed via LEAP. 

Vulnerable young people

Nationally the suspensions and exclusion rates for certain groups of pupils are consistently higher than average. These include young people with SEN, pupils eligible for free school meals, looked and previously looked after children, children with a social worker, as well as pupils from certain ethnic groups. In addition to the approaches on early intervention set above, head teachers should consider what extra support might be needed to identify and address the needs of pupils from these groups in order to reduce their risk of suspension and exclusion. It will be imperative, if a young person has a Social Worker/Keyworker involved, that the school make contact to ensure that a robust plan is put in place, to prevent school exclusion.

Role of the Governing Body

There will be a review of certain suspensions and all permaent exclusions when:

· Suspension of five days or fewer in one term - if parental representation has been made.

· One or more suspension totalling more than five and not more than fifteen school days in a term - if parental representation made.

· Permanent exclusion or suspension(s) totalling more than 15 school days in a term - must meet regardless of whether parental representing is made.

In the case of permanent exclusion, the Governors can confirm the decision of the Head Teacher or direct reinstatement.

Independent Review Panel

If applied for within the prescribed timeframe, a parent can apply for a decision of a Governing Body not to direct reinstatement to be reviewed by an independent panel.

Following its review, the panel can decide to:

1. Uphold the exclusion decision

2. Recommend that the governing body reconsiders their decision, or

3. Change the decision and direct the governing body to consider the exclusion again