Please encourage your child to behave well in school and
support the school if there are any behaviour
problems.
If the normal school sanctions don't work and your child's
behaviour gives increasing cause for concern, the school may well
use the formal exclusion procedures as well as involving North
Somerset teams such as the Education Welfare Service (EWS),
Educational Psychology Service (EPS), Education Support Services
(ESS) and the Education Family Support Service (EFS).
We will try to work with you, your child and the school in avoiding
a school exclusion and a
Pastoral Support Programme will be drawn
up. This is a time-limited action plan to support your
child in school. It will involve you, your child, the
school and outside teams such as the EWS.
There are two types of school exclusion:
- Fixed Term (including lunchtime exclusions)
-
This means that your child is excluded from school for a fixed
number of days (maximum is forty-five days in any one school
year)
- Permanent - This means that your child is
expelled from school and cannot return.
If the exclusion is over fifteen days or is permanent, you and
your child will be asked to attend a meeting with the school
Governors' Discipline Committee. Although these meetings can
be difficult, it is important that you and your child attend so
that you can put across your point of view.
If you think the exclusion is unfair, you have the right to make
representations (i.e. protest) at the meeting. If a permanent
exclusion is upheld by the Governors, you have the right of appeal
to an independent tribunal.
The Education Welfare Officer (EWO) will be at the exclusion
meetings and the Principal Education Welfare Officer is the
Children's Services Authority (CSA) representative at Permanent
Exclusions.
Part of the EWO's role is to help you find another school for
your child if the expulsion is upheld.
To try to avoid permanent exclusion from school, which is
damaging for both the student and the school, North Somerset has
brought in a protocol of
managed transfers. If this is
suggested for your child, try to respond positively. It
will mean a fresh start at another school without the stigma of
a permanent exclusion.
Our
Behaviour and Exclusions Guidance page contains a number
of links to documents provided by both North Somerset Council and
the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
