Education from the sixth day
One-to-one education for excluded learners, commissioned by the school for a suspension or by the local authority for a permanent exclusion.
EXCLUSION SUPPORT
Excluded doesn’t mean
out of options.
Support for children and young people who have been suspended, permanently excluded or are at risk of exclusion: education that keeps learning going, a fresh look at underlying needs and a plan for what comes next.
Keep learning going.
Look beneath the behaviour.
An exclusion can leave a young person feeling rejected and out of step with learning. We provide calm, structured one-to-one education commissioned by schools and local authorities, and work with everyone involved on the next step, whether that’s a return to school, a managed move or a new setting.
Refer a learner for exclusion supportParent or carer? Contact usPreventing exclusion
Targeted tuition, mentoring or time-limited off-site support for pupils at risk of exclusion, with the aim of keeping their school place.
Looking for unmet needs
Behaviour can be a sign of unidentified SEND. We share what we notice with the referrer, which can inform SEN support, an EHC needs assessment or an early review.
Reintegration and fresh starts
Support for a return to school, a managed move or a new placement, with information the receiving setting can use.
KNOW THE RULES
Exclusions: key facts
for families in England.
These points apply to state-funded schools, academies and pupil referral units, which must follow the Department for Education’s statutory guidance. Independent schools have their own procedures.
Based on Contact’s guide to exclusions (opens in a new tab) and the DfE suspension and permanent exclusion guidance (opens in a new tab).
- Only the headteacher can exclude, and only for disciplinary reasons. A school cannot lawfully exclude because it can’t meet a child’s special educational needs, or because of low attainment.
- Suspensions can add up to no more than 45 school days in a school year.
- Sending a child home to “cool off” without a formal exclusion is unlawful, and schools must not pressure parents to remove a child from the roll or to home educate.
- If behaviour may be linked to SEND, the school should first look at the underlying cause, for example by increasing support, seeking specialist advice or arranging an early EHCP review.
- For the first five school days, the school should set and mark work. From the sixth day, full-time education must be arranged: by the school for a suspension, or by the local authority for a permanent exclusion.
- Children looked after and children with a social worker should receive alternative education from the first day where possible.
- After a permanent exclusion, governors must meet within 15 school days. If they uphold it, parents have 15 school days to request an independent review panel, and can ask for a SEN expert to attend.
FREE, IMPARTIAL ADVICE
Where families can
get help.
If you’re challenging an exclusion, get advice early. Strict time limits apply.
Contact
Information and advice for families with disabled children, including a detailed guide to exclusions. Free helpline: 0808 808 3555.
Read Contact’s guide (opens in a new tab)Your local SENDIASS
Free, confidential and impartial SEND advice for families. In Essex, contact Essex SENDIASS; elsewhere, use the national directory.
Find your local service (opens in a new tab)IPSEA
Independent, legally based advice on special educational needs, including exclusions and disability discrimination.
Visit IPSEA (opens in a new tab)Universal Childcare is an independent education provider. We are not part of, or endorsed by, the organisations linked on this page. This is general information about the law in England, not legal advice, and was last reviewed in October 2026.
HAVE A LEARNER IN MIND?