Back to: A Parents Guide to Permanent Exclusions
Access the latest version of the DfE Suspension and Permanent Exclusion Guidance
The DfE have also produced a guide to help parents and carers understand the suspension and permanent exclusion system in schools in England.
11. The decision to exclude a pupil permanently should only be taken:
• in response to a serious breach or persistent breaches of the school’s behaviour policy;and
• where allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others such as staff or pupils in the school.
Pg 13 DfE Suspension and Permanent Exclusion Guidance
Suspensions
All suspensions have to be formally recorded. You should receive a written record of the reason and duration of the suspension. Below are a list of reasons that can be given:
| DfE recognsied reasons for a suspension, | DFE Code |
| Physical assault against a pupil | PP |
| Physical assault against an adult | PA |
| Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against a pupil | VP |
| Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult | VA |
| Use or threat of use of an offensive weapon or prohibited item | OW |
| Bullying | BU |
| Racist abuse | RA |
| Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity | LG |
| Abuse relating to disability | DS |
| Sexual misconduct | SM |
| Drug and alcohol related | DA |
| Damage | DM |
| Theft | TH |
| Persistent or general disruptive behaviour | DB |
| Inappropriate use of social media or online technology | MT |
Any informal suspension which is not recorded, for example taking a child home to “cool off”, may be worth discussing with your local authority education department, as the school may have acted unlawfully. Although at the time this unrecorded suspension may sound beneficial, as the suspension isn’t recorded on the child’s record, it can put the child at a disadvantage when trying to demonstrate that they need additional support, plus it isn’t an accurate representation of the fact that the child wasn’t in school.