Exclusions

The Headteacher and the staff of the school should use the period of exclusion to plan for the successful reintegration of your child. It would be sensible for you to discuss with the Headteacher what you can do to help.  In any case, the school should hold a re-admission meeting, usually at the start of the first day back after exclusion, which you should make every effort to attend and join in.  However, the Headteacher must allow your child to start back at school once the exclusion has finished even if you are unable or do not want to attend the meeting.

During the exclusion, school staff must still set and mark work.  The Headteacher will explain the arrangements for collecting it and handing it in.  If your child is due to sit a public examination, such as GCSEs, during the exclusion, this should not be affected.  If the fixed period exclusion is for more than 5 school days, the School is responsible for making arrangements for the pupil's full time education from the 6th day onwards.

If your child has been permanently excluded, the school is still responsible for setting and marking work until the Pupil Discipline Commitee has reached a decision.
If your child is due shortly to sit public examinations and the Headteacher considers that these should not be taken in the school from which he or she has been permanently excluded, it will be necessary to make alternative arrangements.

There are a number of steps which the school has to take and procedures which must be followed:

1. The parent/carer must be informed immediately, ideally by telephone.
2. Within one day, the Headteacher must inform you by letter that  your child has been excluded, the type of exclusion and the reasons for it.
3. The Headteacher must notify the local authority [LA] and, depending on the length of exclusion, the Discipline Committee set up by the governing body, of your child's exclusion.
4. The Headteacher's letter tells you that you have the right to make representations to the Chair of the Discipline Committee about the decision to exclude your child.
5. If you wish to state your case to the Discipline Committee, the Clerk to the Committee will arrange a meeting which you are entitled to attend.
6. For exclusions over 15 school days or a permanent exclusion the Clerk must call a meeting between 6 and 15 school days after the start of the exclusion.
7. You are entitled to receive a copy of any report which is provided to the Discipline Committee at its meeting to consider the exclusion.
8. You have the right to have any letters, documents or reports translated into your mother-tongue.

The Discipline Committee MUST decide at its meeting whether or not it agrees with the Headteacher's decision to exclude your child. If they do not agree, they must direct reinstatement – in other words, instruct the Headteacher to allow your child to return to school. 

If the exclusion is for fewer than 5 school days in the term, the Discipline Committee may only consider your views; it has no power to direct the school to reinstate.
You will be invited to attend the meeting, the Headteacher and [in some cases] a representative of the LA will also be present.  You should make every effort to attend and you may take along a friend or someone whose advice you would welcome during the meeting.  You may also send a written statement or other evidence for the Committee to consider.

There are no hard and fast rules and your wishes will be taken into account by the Discipline Committee.  Certainly, if you and your child feel that you should both attend, you should make this request as soon as possible directly to the Clerk to the Discipline Committee.  The Discipline Committee will normally allow your child to attend and to speak if you request this.

The Headteacher's written report and any written statements or letters will be circulated before the meeting to everybody who will be attending.

At the meeting, the Chair of the Discipline Committee will introduce everybody and invite the Headteacher to outline the reasons for excluding your child.  You will be able to ask questions of the Headteacher and of other witnesses who may give information at the meeting.  After that, you [and your child], if he or she attends the meeting] will be able to put your case.  It is a good idea to be prepared and to write out the points you wish to make.  Information is given in the presence of all parties and you should be prepared to answer questions from the Headteacher and Discipline Committee about your case.  The LA representative will also make a statement giving the LA's view as to the appropriateness of the exclusion. 

When the Discipline Committee has heard all the information, you, the LA representative and the Headteacher will be asked to sum up.  Then you will all be asked to withdraw while the Committee makes its decision.

You will normally be told the Discipline Committee's decision at the end of the meeting. You will also receive a letter from the Committee Clerk within one school day of the meeting, which sets out the decision and the reasons for it.  In the case of a permanent exclusion, a fixed period exclusion of more than 5 school days, or any exclusion where the pupil loses the opportunity to take a public examination, the decision will state whether your child should be reinstated to the school. 

If the Committee agrees that your child should be reinstated, you will be told the date on which he or she can return to school.  No conditions may be attached to this decision. 

If the Discipline Committee decides that your child should not return to school, you have the right to appeal against this decision to the Darlington School Appeals Panel.  This Panel is independent of the LA and the governing body of the school.  An Officer of the LA will write to you to explain the procedure and send you the appeal form.

If you decide to appeal, you must do so within 15 school days from the date you receive the decision letter from the Discipline Committee.