All maintained schools, academies, alternative provision academies, and pupil referral units (PRUs) must have regard to statutory guidance on suspension and exclusion from the Department for Education (DfE).
The requirements apply to all pupils, including those above and below compulsory school age.
The DfE has published updated guidance which comes into effect on 26 July 2026. It replaces the existing guidance on suspensions and exclusions. Your school should follow the existing guidance until 25 July 2026. See our summary of the changes.
Purpose and timelines
When a pupil is suspended or permanently excluded, your governing board has a duty to consider parents’ representations.
Your governing board will usually delegate that responsibility to a committee, which we'll refer to here as an 'exclusions panel'. It may have a different name, such as a disciplinary committee.
Where one is