Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to regulate the exclusion from school of pupils with (a) special educational needs and (b) disabilities.
The department publishes statutory guidance for head teachers and governors on exclusion: ‘Exclusion from maintained schools, Academies and pupil referral units in England’. The guidance covers the process from start to finish, and includes specific requirements in relation to pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND). In particular, the guidance sets out that, head teachers and governing bodies should make additional efforts to consider what extra support may be required to avoid exclusion of pupils with SEND, and as far as possible, should avoid permanently excluding pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan or Statement.