Excluded Pupils

'Exclusion' means to exclude a pupil from a school on disciplinary grounds.*

The terms “Fixed Period Exclusion” and “Permanent Exclusion” will be referred to as “Suspension” and “Expulsion” from January 2021. Documents will be amended in due course when DfE guidance is amended.

Only the head teacher has the power to exclude a pupil from school and there are two types of exclusion:

Fixed period exclusion (Suspension)
These exclusions/suspensions are usually for a short period and include lunch-time exclusions. The pupil returns after the exclusion/suspension period has expired. In cases of more than a day's exclusion/suspension, work should be set and marked.

Permanent exclusion (Expulsion)
This means the pupil cannot return to the school unless reinstated.
If a pupil is permanently excluded/expelled from any school, the Local Authority (LA) has the duty to provide other suitable education. Together for Children deliver this service on behalf of Sunderland City Council. A pupil may be placed in another school or other suitable arrangements may be made.

If a child is fixed term/suspended or permanently excluded/expelled, parents/carers may have the right to make representations to the school's Governing Body. It is the governing body's role to either decline to reinstate the pupil; or direct reinstatement. If a pupil has been permanently excluded/expelled and the governors decide to decline reinstatement of the pupil, parents/carers can request that the decision is reviewed by an Independent Review Panel.

You can download our school exclusion templates below.

Who to contact:
Michelle Burlinson, Inclusion and Access Officer, Together for Children.
Tel: 0191 561 1442

External links
Together for Children is not responsible for the content of external sites

* This includes maintained schools, pupil referral units, academy schools (including free schools, studio schools) and alternative provision academies (including alternative provision free schools)

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