Suspension and exclusion of pupils

A school can suspend a pupil for a fixed-term (of anything from half a day to 45 days) or can exclude permanently.

If a school suspends a pupil for a fixed-term they must name a date on which the pupil can return to school. Schools are advised to make suspensions as short as possible so that the education of suspended pupils is not disrupted.

Is a pupil required to work whilst suspended from school?

The school must provide work that the pupil can do at home for the first five days of an suspension. The school must arrange an alternative placement from the sixth day, usually at another school in the city. If the exclusion is permanent, we will provide this.

What is a long fixed term suspension?

A long fixed term suspension is one of more than 15 days. These are rare and schools must hold a meeting of the governing body to discuss such suspensions. A meeting must also be held if a pupil is suspended for more than 15 days in any one term.

What is a permanent exclusion?

A permanent exclusion is a serious matter. A meeting of the governing body (sometimes called a Governors' Disciplinary Meeting, or GDM) has to be held within 15 school days of the start of the exclusion. Parents or carers are invited to attend the meeting together with the excluded pupil.

Governors will listen to evidence from the school and the family and decide whether the headteacher was right to exclude the pupil. Governors can direct the school to re-admit the pupil.

Parents or carers have the right to appeal to an Independent Review Panel if they feel that the governors have made a mistake in supporting the headteachers decision.

Representation at Governors' Disciplinary Meetings (GDMs)

Parents or carers can take a representative with them to the GDM. This could be a family member, a friend of the family, a legal representative or an advocate.

How can I get support?

You can get advice about exclusions from the Exclusions Team. Contact us at iyfa@derby.gov.uk, or on 07464 517290.

Independent advice can also be obtained from Coram Children's Legal Centre, The Advisory Centre for Education's telephone number is 08088 020 008.