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Policies & procedures

Exclusion and suspension procedure

Our guidance sets out the stages of the exclusions process and the governing board’s role within it.

Guidance
04/06/2026

Governing boards have a statutory duty to consider certain instances of pupil suspension and exclusion and to decide whether the headteacher’s decision should be upheld or the pupil reinstated.

Our procedural guide to suspension and exclusion describes the stages of the process and the governing board’s role within it. It will be of particular interest to those clerking exclusion panels.

The guide covers:

  • headteacher notification of suspension or exclusion
  • governing board panel review of the headteacher’s decision
  • independent review of the board’s decision
  • governing board revisit their decision
  • panel meeting procedure
  • example statements for the board's decision letter

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