Family & Education

School Exclusion

School Exclusion

School Exclusion

Kairen Cullen (Educational Psychologist) gives expert video advice on: My child is repeatedly being excluded from school, what should I do?; If my child is excluded from school, can I appeal? and more...

What is exclusion?

Exclusion is when a school formally tells a student not to attend school.

What types of exclusion are there?

Exclusions can take two different forms. Firstly, fixed term exclusions, which could be just simply one day to a number of days, or a permanent exclusion, which is where the youngster is not allowed to return to school at any point.

What possible reasons could a school have for excluding a child?

In the UK the DFES, our clients, have very specific reasons for use of permanent exclusion. This includes using substances, or bringing illegal substances to the school site, bringing weapons to the school site, physical acts of aggression to people on the school site or threats of, and generally matters of very serious nature. And possibly also acts of damage to school property or buildings. Lesser offenses would generally incur the sanction of fixed term exclusion, which would be anything for a day off school onwards.

My child is repeatedly being excluded from school, what should I do?

When a child is repeatedly excluded from school this is cause of serious concern. It means that this ultimate sanction is actually having no effect on the child's behavior. It's flagging up your need to get some professional external support, and the source of that support could be your local educational psychology service. It is possible that the youngster's manifesting a level of additional need that requires a different kind of provision, and the educational psychologists would be key to accessing this different provision. Usually the school would activate that involvement, but it's a parents right to request it as well.

If my child is excluded from school, can I appeal?

If your child has been excluded from school on a permanent basis, there are rights of appeal laid down in law, and the ocal authority has to hear the parent's appeal and has to answer to that and to give good reason why the youngster should not be reinstated in school. For fixed term exclusions, this appeal process is not in place.