Suspension and Exclusion Advice for Parents/Carers
Guidance for Parents on Suspension/Exclusion
The government requires us to formally tell you when the Headteacher of a school has decided to exclude
your child. The attached letter does this.
1. Exclusion can only be for a breach of the Trust/school behaviour policy and may be for a fixed period
(suspension) or permanent. The letter tells you what type of sanction has been imposed and its length.
2. You may seek advice about the suspension/exclusion by contacting the local authority where you live
and also by seeking advice from an independent source. Contact information for these sources is
below. Please refer to the guide for parents on school behaviour and exclusion for an explanation of
your rights from 1 September 2023.
3. You have a right to make representations to a panel about this suspension/exclusion. When and how
this will happen will depend on the type of suspension/exclusion and the period of time involved (see
points below). You may make a representation by writing to the Headteacher who will forward this to
the Trust for appropriate action.
4. A panel is required to review certain exclusions. We will invite you to attend this review meeting
which, depending on the availability of the panel, should normally take place within 15 days. This
review meeting is required if the exclusion of your child is in one of the following categories:
- Permanent exclusion
- Where your child will miss a public exam or national curriculum test because of the
suspension. Although 15 days is set as a desirable time, the panel should, when reasonably
practical, meet to consider the suspension before the date of the examination or test. If this is not
practical, a designated reviewer can in these circumstances make a decision without other panel
members being involved. - Suspension that will take your child’s total days of suspension above 15 days in one term.
5. You may request that this meeting be held via the use of remote access. Otherwise, the meeting will
be held in person. Should you request a remote meeting, the school will need to ensure that the remote
meeting can be held fairly and transparently: that you have adequate access to technology to allow you
to hear and speak throughout the meeting and to see and be seen by all participants and that all
participants can put across their point of view or fulfil their function.
6. Where a suspension is for a period of more than 5 school days but not more than 15 days in a
single term, you may request that the panel consider the reinstatement of your child within 50 school
days of receiving notice of the suspension.
7. Where your child has received a suspension that does not bring his/her suspensions to more than 5
days in one term, the panel must consider your representations, but it cannot direct reinstatement and
is not required to arrange a meeting with you. All lawful suspensions of this length must be
completed, and the panel cannot direct that a pupil return to school at an earlier date. However, if the
panel disagrees with the Headteacher’s decision, a note to this effect can be placed on the pupil’s
school record.
8. You are entitled to invite a representative of the local authority to attend the panel meeting as an
observer. However, the local authority representative can only make representations with the panel’s
consent.
Contacts for advice and independent support:
- For Leicester City residents – the city Exclusion Team, [email protected] 0116 454 5520
- For Leicestershire county residents – the county Inclusion Service,
[email protected] - For Derbyshire residents – the Exclusion and Access Team,
[email protected] - Coram’s Child Law Advice service through their website or by contacting them on 0300 330 5485
from Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm - IPSEA, the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, is a registered charity. It offers free
and independent information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and
young people with all kinds of special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. - SENDIASS Leicester provides free and confidential advice for parents and families on special
educational needs and disabilities. Email [email protected] or tel: 0116 4820870. - A copy of the government guidance relating to exclusions can be found on the Department for
Education website.
If you think this suspension/exclusion relates to a disability your child has, and you think disability
discrimination has occurred, you have the right to appeal, and/or make a claim, to the Special Educational
Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST).
The address to send appeals to is HM Courts & Tribunal Service, Special Educational Needs and Disability,
1
st Floor Darlington Magistrates Court, Parkgate, Darlington DL1 1RUl. Details of this process can be found
at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-send4a-disability-discrimination-claim-by-a-parent
If you have difficulty understanding this note, please contact the school using the contact
information provided on the letter informing you of your child’s suspension or exclusion.