Suspensions and exclusions guidance: changes from September 2022
Updated guidance for the management of suspensions and exclusions comes into effect from September. We'll help you sort through what's changed and what hasn't so you can start the new year with confidence.
Contents
- Quick summary: what's changed?
- What hasn't changed?
- Your role in monitoring pupil moves
- Changes to the board's procedures for reviewing suspensions and exclusions
- Using off-site direction and managed moves to prevent exclusions
- Reporting on suspensions and exclusions
- Involving the pupil in the decision to suspend or exclude
- Providing education during the first 5 days of suspension or exclusion
- Off-rolling and unlawful exclusions
- Suspending or excluding children with social workers
- The DSL's role in exclusions
- The roles of the virtual school head (VSH) and social workers in exclusions
- Successfully reintegrating pupils following suspension
Quick summary: what's changed?
Here's the round-up of the changes - with a more detailed description of the changes further below.
For governing boards, this updated guidance includes:
- Information on how you should monitor and use suspension and exclusion data
- Some changes to your procedures when reviewing a suspension or exclusion, including:
- An updated list of who must be invited to a meeting of the governing board to consider an exclusion and whose views must be taken into account
- A new power for your board to consider reinstatement for suspensions where the total number of days suspended doesn't exceed 5 in a term (We think. See the section on 'changes to the board's procedures' below)
New rules around whom the headteacher must notify of a suspension or exclusion, and when: In addition to notifying parents, they must now also notify your governing board and (as appropriate) the pupil's social worker, the virtual school head (VSH) and the