Promoting inclusion - the three-stage approach and managed transfers

Stage three - Reintegration following permanent exclusion

In line with statutory guidance, the school must notify the LA, without delay, of any permanent exclusion (including where a fixed-period exclusion is followed by a decision to permanently exclude the pupil). Notifications should be made using the Southwark Inclusion Passport form, including as much background information on relation to the child or young person’s history, current concerns and details of the support that has already been offered. The form can be found in appendix 10 ^{(PDF, 202kb)}.

Duty of the Local Authority to Provide Education Provision following Permanent Exclusion

Upon receipt of notification of exclusion, the EIT manager will allocate the case to a SEWO to support and facilitate the transfer of the child or young person into a new education provision by the sixth day of exclusion as required by statutory guidance.

In most circumstances, the Summerhouse Behaviour Support Service provides education provision on the sixth day post-exclusion for primary age children. For secondary age students, Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (SILS) is commissioned by the LA to provide the same.

Both centres provide an initial assessment and induction for the young person with support and guidance from the SEWO. For a small number of young people, these provisions will not be appropriate for their learning, SEN or safeguarding needs. Where this is the conclusion, the child or young is referred to the LA virtual school for consideration of other suitable alternative provision for the young person.

Existing intervention plans for all young people who are permanently excluded should be reviewed via a TAF meeting, child in need meeting, core group or youth justice intervention plan review as soon as possible following a permanent exclusion. Responsibility for convening this meeting falls to the lead professional. If the child or young person not allocated to a lead service, this responsibility falls to the SEWO in conjunction with the receiving school.

The principles of reintegration and moving on should be at the centre of assessment and planning for excluded pupils, with the recognition that where appropriate and possible, reintegration of the child or young person into mainstream school should be a key aim. Both SILS and Summerhouse, supported by the EIT, have their own processes for assessing and planning for reintegration.

Irrespective of whether the ultimate goal is a return to mainstream education, the principles of reparation and reintegration should still inform the post-exclusion review. The provision of education by the sixth day is crucial, but should not be viewed as the final goal or outcome for the child or young person who in many cases will continue to have considerable needs.

In a small number of cases, the behaviour resulting in exclusion may be a genuinely isolated incident for a child or young person, whose needs can be met through universal and school-based support. Nevertheless, local knowledge and research tells us clearly that most young people are likely to have unmet needs in a variety of areas that necessitate a multi-agency ‘whole family’ approach.

The focus of any planning should continue to be on understanding the factors underpinning the behaviour that resulted in exclusion and ensuring that targeted support to address these specific needs are provided in the new setting with wrap around support from the TAF. This will reduce the likelihood that the young person will simply carry unmet needs into their new setting or that patterns of behaviour and poor in-school relationships will continue. These principles are equally important for those children and young people supported to remain in mainstream education as a result of a managed move.

Professionals supporting families should note that the responsibility to provide education by the sixth day following exclusion is a statutory duty for the LA. There will be circumstances where professionals will have contrasting views with regard to the most suitable long-term education provision for a child or young person who has been permanently excluded. However, it's extremely important that practitioners do not support or condone non-attendance or engagement with the identified sixth-day provision, or indicate to families that this provision is inappropriate.

Professionals are respectfully asked to submit any worries or concerns in relation to a sixth-day provision to the lead SEWO for the child, who will then ensure that these views are carefully reviewed as part of induction assessment and attendance and inclusion work for the child or young person.

Page last updated: 20 January 2023