Exclusions

Exclusions

This policy should be read in conjunction with the school’s Behaviour Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Attendance Policy and Restrictive Interventions Policy.

This policy is based on the commitment by the school community to achieve three aims:

- ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of the school community at all times

- maintaining an appropriate education environment for the successful learning of all

- reducing the need for exclusion to be used as a sanction

As the Behaviour Policy makes clear, exclusion will only ever be used as a last resort and will always be seen as a sanction to be avoided if at all possible. The school will consider a child’s special educational needs or disability, make reasonable adjustments where required, and adapt its response accordingly. Decisions must be fair, proportionate and consistent with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010, including the prohibition of unlawful discrimination.

The school will consider whether disruptive behaviour may arise from unmet educational or other needs, whether additional support or a multi-agency assessment is appropriate, and whether there are safeguarding concerns requiring involvement of the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

IGS: Durham is an independent school. The statutory suspension and permanent exclusion framework for maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units does not apply directly to the school. Exclusion decisions and appeals follow this policy and the school’s applicable contractual terms, subject to its legal duties.

Exclusion can only ever be administered as a sanction by the Principal. Exclusions will normally be of a fixed-term nature, typically between one and three days. As a matter of school policy, fixed-term exclusions will not exceed a total of 45 school days in any one school year. This is a school limit, rather than a statutory requirement applying to IGS: Durham.

Following an exclusion decision, the pupil will be kept safely under supervision pending collection, with any separation managed in accordance with the Behaviour and Restrictive Interventions Policies. Seclusion will never be used as a punishment. The parents or carers of the child will be contacted and asked to collect the child. The child will be supervised until collection. An email will be sent promptly to parents, setting out the background to, reasons for and details of the exclusion, including its duration and return date. It will also set out the rights of appeal of the parents and the next steps as below.

Parents/carers may appeal in writing to the Principal against any exclusion. If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they may appeal in writing to the Chairman of the School Board, whose contact details are available on the school’s website, unless the Chairman was involved in the original decision or has another conflict of interest, in which case the appeal will be considered by another suitable person appointed by the Board who was not involved in the original decision.

Each appeal should normally be submitted within five school days of the written decision being challenged; reasonable extensions will be considered where circumstances warrant them. Appeals will be considered promptly, and parents will be informed of the timetable and any unavoidable delay.

The Chairman of the School Board will offer the parents/carers a meeting to consider the appeal. Parents may be accompanied at the meeting by their choice of representative and minutes of the meeting will be taken by the secretary to the School Board or another suitable person. The pupil’s views will be taken into account in an age-appropriate way. The reviewer may uphold, vary or overturn the decision and will give parents a written outcome with reasons. Any decisions made at this stage will be final within the school’s exclusion appeal process; this does not affect statutory rights.

A return to school meeting will be organised to coincide with the expiry of the fixed-term exclusion. This will involve the school Principal, the pupil and parents/carers, and other staff where appropriate. During this meeting a Pastoral Support Plan will be drawn up, which will include a review date and any appropriate support or reasonable adjustments. A pupil’s return will not be delayed solely because a parent cannot attend the meeting. During the course of a fixed-term exclusion where the pupil is to be at home, parents/carers are advised that the pupil is not allowed on the school premises unless expressly authorised, and that daytime supervision is their responsibility as parents/carers. The school will provide appropriate work and arrangements for feedback during the exclusion.

Records relating to exclusions will be stored confidentially. Every exclusion will also be recorded in the school’s central record of sanctions for serious misbehaviour, including the pupil’s name and year group, the nature and date of the incident, the sanction and its duration, and any appeal outcome. The Board will review these records to monitor fairness, patterns and the effectiveness of support.

Exclusion will only be imposed instantly if there is considered an immediate threat to the safety of others in the school or the pupil concerned. Any immediate fixed-term exclusion must be formally recorded and communicated, and followed promptly by an appropriate investigation. The Principal will conduct thorough and appropriate investigations before deciding whether or not to exclude a pupil permanently, allowing the pupil to give their version of events, considering relevant evidence and the wider context, including all appropriate school policies, and giving parents an opportunity to respond. Findings about disputed events will be made on the balance of probabilities.

Pupils will not be sent home informally as a disciplinary measure, including to ‘cool off’. A part-time timetable will not be imposed as a behaviour sanction, and parents will not be pressured to withdraw their child to avoid the exclusion process.

Permanent exclusions will be rare but remain as an option in extreme cases. The extreme cases that will lead to consideration of a permanent exclusion include the following:

- a serious breach of safety requirements likely to endanger other people or the pupil themselves;

- removal of, or damage to, school property;

- stealing from the school, employees of the school, or from other pupils;

- intentional damage to property;

- abuse of the school’s computer system and of the internet;

- sexual misconduct, abuse or assault;

- serious actual or threatened violence or physical assault against another pupil, member of staff or worker in the school;

- carrying an offensive weapon, including an item made, adapted or intended for causing injury;

- bullying and/or harassment including racial, sexual or homophobic harassment;

- wilful defiance of the properly exercised authority of the school and its staff;

- bringing the school into disrepute or acting in a manner deliberately to undermine the school’s principles or ethos;

- supplying or use of illegal drugs;

- arson.

These examples do not lead automatically to permanent exclusion. The Principal will consider the seriousness and circumstances of the incident, the pupil’s age and needs, reasonable adjustments, the effect on the safety and welfare of the school community, and whether another response would be appropriate.

As above, a full investigation will be carried out by the Principal, who may consult the Chairman of the School Board. Any such consultation will be recorded and an uninvolved reviewer will consider a subsequent appeal. Parents will have the same rights of appeal against permanent exclusion. The written decision will set out the reasons, effective date, appeal arrangements and arrangements for educational transition. The school will cooperate with parents and relevant agencies to support the pupil’s continuing education and welfare.

Any deletion from the admission register and notification to the local authority will follow the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 and the school’s Attendance Policy. A fixed-term exclusion does not remove the pupil from the admission register.

This policy will be reviewed annually alongside the Behaviour Policy, or sooner if requirements or school practice change.

The Independent Grammar School: Durham

May 2026. Reviewed: September 2026. Next review: September 2027