Exclusion from school for children, young people and their families can be a stressful time. Guidance has been issued by the Department for Education that all schools, nurseries and Pupil Referral Units must have regard to before and after a decision to exclude has been made:
Behaviour & Discipline In Schools - A Guide for Head Teachers and School Staff (External link)
Behaviour & Discipline in Schools - A Guide for Governing Bodies (External link)
The Department for Education website contains advice for both schools and parents with regard to exclusions
Exclusion Guidance - The Department for Education (External link)
Parents/carers have the right to appropriately challenge a school about an exclusion and can make representations to the school's 'Governors Discipline Committee' which is made up of between 3 and 5 members of the school's governing body.
The Department for Education's funded parental helpline on exclusion matters is now provided by The Children's Legal Centre. They aim to provide free legal advice and information to parents on education matters. They can be contacted on 0808 802 0008 or at The Children's Legal Centre (External link)
The advice line is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, except Bank Holidays and 24 December to 1 January.
