Schools will impose an exclusion on a child only as a last resort - when all else has failed, or when a child's misdemeanour is exceedingly serious.

Only a head teacher can exclude a pupil from school (or the acting head or deputy head if the head teacher is away).

An exclusion can be for a fixed period, for a few days for example, or it can be permanent. What should you do about your child's education if they are excluded?

Fixed period exclusion
Within any one year, the law says a pupil can be excluded for a fixed period on more than one occasion, but the total number of days of exclusion in that year must not exceed 45 school days.

As soon as the head teacher has decided to exclude a pupil, they must notify you, the child's parent(s), giving the reasons why the child is to be excluded. They must also explain your right of appeal by representation to the school governors.

If an exclusion is no more than five days long, a formal meeting of governors (or a governors committee) doesn't need to be convened. But if the school wants the exclusion to be longer than five days, the school has to call a governors meeting as soon as possible to discuss it, and the head teacher must inform the local education authority. You can appeal against the exclusion at this meeting.

If a governors' meeting (or committee) is called to discuss a fixed period exclusion, the head teacher attends the meeting not as a committee member, but as a witness. The governors can choose to uphold the exclusion, or can reinstate the pupil. They, or the head, can also choose to allow an excluded pupil to attend school to sit a public examination.

Useful websites
Information and guidance on exclusion from the Department for Education and Skills

Advice from the Advisory Centre for Education on what to do if your child's been excluded.

Permanent exclusion

This is what we used to call expulsion - the pupil is struck off the school roll. For a school to take this step is exceedingly serious and the head teacher will only take things to this stage if every other measure they've tried to reduce the bad behaviour of a very difficult pupil has failed.

A one-off but very serious misdemeanour by a child could also be dealt with by a permanent exclusion.

If the head teacher chooses this course of action against your child, they must inform you immediately, giving reasons for the exclusion, together with information about your right to appeal to the school's governing body.

The school governors (or their appropriate committee) will meet to discuss whether or not the exclusion should go ahead, listening to all the facts about the child's behaviour and its effect on the school and other pupils. The head teacher will withdraw from that meeting once they've given evidence, and will not be present when the governors make their decision. You can appeal against the exclusion to this meeting.

The governors have the power to reinstate the pupil, or to change a permanent exclusion to a fixed period exclusion.

Once the governors have reached a conclusion, they must give it in writing to you (or directly to the pupil if they are 18 years old), and to the head teacher and the local education authority.

If you disagree with the governors' decision you can appeal again, to an independent appeal panel - but you must do this no later than 15 days after you receive the letter telling you your appeal to the governors' meeting was unsuccessful. It is the responsibility of the local education authority to set up this appeal panel, and the panels' decision is final - short of seeking a judicial review in the High Court.

Further information
Advice from the Advisory centre for Education on what to do if you disagree with the exclusion.

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