What happens during a fixed term suspension?
The first five days -
• Places of learning should take reasonable steps to set and mark work for the first five days of any exclusion.
• During these five days the parent/carer is responsible for the child/young person’s whereabouts. They must make sure the child/young person is not in a public place without reasonable justification during school hours. The parent/carer could be fined if they breach this duty.
Day 6 onwards -
• The school has a duty to provide suitable full-time alternative education no later than day 6.
Fixed Term Suspension limits
• A child or young person can only be fixed term suspended up to 45 days in one academic year (even if they’ve moved schools).
• If a child or young person reaches 45 days, it can result in a permanent exclusion.
• Permanent exclusion should be a last resort so schools should be working with the child/young person, family and outside professionals to reduce fixed term suspensions where possible.
Going back to school after a fixed term suspension
• Schools should have a procedure for reintegrating a child or young person back after a suspension.
• A ‘Reintegration Meeting’ can take place, but a school can’t stop the child/young person from going back to school after the suspension if a parent/carer can’t attend.
• The school and parent/carer with the child/young person (if able) should look at ways to manage future behaviour e.g., additional SEN Support, Individual Behaviour Plan etc.
Challenging a fixed term suspension
A parent, carer or young person can write to the Chair of governors or the Trustees to request a meeting for a suspension from half a day (which is what a lunchtime suspension is classed as) up to 5 days. The governing body may agree but they do not have to.
For Fixed Term Suspensions that are 5 and a half days up to 15 days there must be a meeting with the governing body to review the headteachers decision if the parent, carer or young person requests one. This meeting must be held within 50 school days.
And for Fixed Term Suspensions that are over 15 days there must be a meeting with the governing body to review the headteachers decision, this meeting must be held within 15 school days.
What a Governing Body must do
The governing body must consider the reinstatement of a suspended pupil within 15 school days of receiving notice of the suspension if:
· If the suspension period would bring the pupil’s total number of school days of suspension to more than 15 in a term
· The exclusion is permanent
· It would result in a pupil missing a public examination or national curriculum test.