Each school has a written behaviour policy, which sets out the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Schools are entitled to expect the support of parents, and they will ask parents to be involved if their child is misbehaving. Within the law and a whole-school behaviour policy, headteachers and teachers have legal authority to impose reasonable punishment and to promote and uphold good behaviour. Exclusion from school on the grounds of bad behaviour is the most extreme form this punishment can take.
An exclusion is when the headteacher, whilst carrying out the duty to maintain good order of a school exercises his/her right to punish a child for a serious offence, which falls outside the boundaries of acceptable behaviour as outlined in the school's behaviour policy.
Types of exclusions
The law allows for two types of exclusion:
Fixed period when a date is set for return to school
Permanent when the school is seeking to remove the pupil from their school roll
Fixed period exclusions
Fixed period exclusions are when the school will set a date for the pupil to return to school.
A headteacher can decide to exclude a pupil for a fixed period of up to 45 days in any one school year.
If your child has been excluded from school then it means that he or she will not be allowed to attend school for a period of time because of difficulties that have arisen concerning your child's behaviour. Your child must not enter the school premises on the dates given.
Permanent exclusions
A permanent exclusion from school is the last sanction available to a headteacher when a pupil seriously misbehaves. It means that unless the governors of the school direct otherwise, your child will not be allowed to return to the school, and you will need to seek another school for your son/daughter.
Permanent exclusion is not a step that headteachers take lightly and they will have made the decision based on the fact that:
there has been a serious breach of the school's discipline policy; and
a range of alternative strategies have been tried and have failed; and
allowing your child to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil, or of others in the school.
A formal process has to be followed in the event of a permanent exclusion, and strict timescales are set by the Government for the various parts of the process.
Making an appeal against an exclusion
The governing body inform the parent or the pupil (if aged over 18), head teacher and Local Authority of their decision within one school day of the exclusion hearing by letter. The parent (or pupil if aged over 18) must lodge an appeal in writing within 15 school days of receipt of the governing body's letter. If the exclusion decision notice is sent out by first class this is treated as having been given on the second working day after it was posted.
If you decide to make an appeal, please use the exclusion appeal form below and email or post it to the address on the form. Your letter of appeal must be sent to the Democratic Services Team at Bolton Council.