TELAC - Exclusion and "Looked After Children"
“Schools should try every practicable means to maintain the (looked after) child in school and should seek LA and other professional advice as appropriate.”
For this group of children, who are especially at risk of low achievement, it is important that schools are sensitive to exclusion issues.
When children in public care are in danger of exclusion, schools should, at the earliest opportunity, work with social services and arrange a professionals’ planning meeting. It is important to ensure that everyone involved is kept informed, as well as social services and TELAC Officers. This could also include foster carers and birth parents.
Fixed Term Exclusion and Permanent Exclusion are both very serious matters. Only a school's head teacher can exclude a pupil (or a named deputy if the head teacher is out of school).
Detailed below is information regarding the 2 different types of exclusion:-
Fixed Term Exclusion
A head teacher may decide to exclude a child for a fixed period of time only when he/she is sure that:-
- the child has seriously broken the school's discipline policy
- if the child remained in school, it would seriously harm the education or welfare of the child or others in the school
Permanent Exclusion
A head teacher may decide to permanently exclude a pupil only when he/she is sure that:-
- the child has seriously breached the school's discipline policy
- if the child remained in school, it would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school
Can a Child be Permanently Excluded for a Serious First Incident?
Permanent exclusion would in most cases be used as a last resort after all other strategies have been tried and failed. Nevertheless if the head teacher feels that he/she must take action immediately to protect the children and staff within the school a child can be permanently excluded for a serious first incident.
For further information, please contact the Exclusion Team on 01926 742517.