Updated guidance for permanent exclusions and suspensions published

New guidance has been published by the Department for Education to come into effect from September 2023 regarding the use of permanent exclusions and suspensions. The guidance has been updated to reflect specific changes to the legislation governing the disciplinary school suspension and permanent exclusion processes.

These include:

• amended regulations about a headteacher’s ability to rescind an exclusion and the processes to be followed; 
• allowing a governing body reinstatement meeting to be held via the use of remote access if requested by parents providing given criteria are satisfied. 

These changes come on top of those updates made in 2022 which require notification to parents and to the social worker or Virtual School Headteacher (VSH) and the Local Authority to be made without delay. Further guidance on managed moves and off-site direction was provided along with the rights of pupils to be included within the process appropriate to their age and ability to understand.