School Exclusions

On 26 February from 9.30-11.00 am there will be a debate in Westminster Hall on school exclusions. The debate has been initiated by Sarah Jones MP.

This pack sets out current policy on school exclusions, statistical information, recent parliamentary proceedings, and related research and news. It mostly relates to England, but also includes some statistical and other information on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Schools in England can exclude pupils on a temporary or permanent basis, but only for disciplinary reasons.

In 2017/18, England’s permanent exclusion rate was 0.10 per cent – equivalent to 10 per 10,000 pupils. The rate increased between 2012/13 (0.06 per cent) and 2017/18 (0.10 per cent). The most common reason for permanent exclusion in 2017/18 was physical assault against another pupil.

There have been a number of reviews and reports relating to school exclusion in recent years. These include:

• Edward Timpson’s review, published in May 2019 – to which the then-Government simulataneously published a response. This promised that schools would be made accountable for the outcomes of pupils they permanently excluded.
• The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime’s report on school exclusions, published in October 2019.

The 2019 Government has said that it has an “ambitious programme of action on behaviour, exclusion and alternative provision”.