Permanent exclusion from school
Permanent exclusion means the pupil is not allowed to return to the school he or she is being excluded from.
How does the exclusion process work?
Only the head teacher (or, in the absence of the head teacher, the most senior teacher) can exclude a pupil.
If the head teacher decides to exclude your child, the school will contact you by telephone as soon as possible. The school will write to you within 24 hours of the decision explaining the reason why your child has been excluded and your rights to appeal against this decision.
The school will also contact East Sussex County Council. We will write to you with a further explanation of your rights to appeal and information about your child’s future education.
Your child’s future education
During the first 5 days of your child’s exclusion, the school must provide them with work and arrange for it to be marked.
Following this, we will arrange for alternative educational provision for your child. Your child may be offered a place at a pupil referral unit while we do this.
There are three secondary pupil referral units in East Sussex in Hastings, Eastbourne and Lewes. There are also two primary pupil referral units in Hastings and Seaford.
How can I appeal against the exclusion?
Within 6–15 school days of the start of the exclusion, the Governing Body must meet to decide whether to uphold the exclusion decision. You are strongly advised to attend this meeting. You can present your case against the exclusion yourself, or ask a friend or legal representative to speak on your behalf.
Our Parent Link team can help you to find someone to speak on your behalf. Contact Parent Link.
If the Governing Body confirms the decision to exclude your child permanently, you can appeal against this decision to an independent appeal panel. You will be sent information about how to appeal, including an appeal form, following the meeting of the Governing Body.
If you wish to appeal you must complete and return this form, within 15 days of the Governing Body meeting, to:
The Clerk to the Independent Appeals Panel
County Hall
St Anne's Crescent
Lewes
BN7 1SF.
Independent appeal panels
Independent appeal panels have the power to:
- uphold the appeal and ensure that your child is immediately reinstated or reinstated at a future date (within a reasonable time frame)
- uphold the appeal but decide that it would not be appropriate for your child to return to their original school
- dismiss your appeal and uphold the school’s decision to permanently exclude your child.
If the appeal is upheld, details of this decision will be added to your child’s permanent record.
You can appeal against an exclusion even if you do not wish your child to return to the excluding school.
The decision of the panel is final. More information is available in our guide ‘Procedures for school exclusion appeal hearings’.
After permanent exclusion
Once the outcome of all appeals has been decided, we will look at the long term placement of your child. Depending on their age, circumstances and how close they are to completing their education, your child may be found a place at:
- another school
- a college
- a pupil referral unit.
Someone from the Reintegration Team will contact you following your child’s permanent exclusion. They will discuss the options for continuing your child’s education, including any preference’s you have for a new school.
Who can help?
