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
