Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's document, Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England: 2016 to 2017, if he will make an assessment of the reasons why pupils with SEN support have a permanent exclusion rate that is six times higher than the rate for pupils with no SEN; and if he will institute a specific programme for families of pupils with SEN to ensure that their children are given the most suitable means of advice and support following such expulsions.

The Department’s statutory guidance on exclusions is clear that all schools should consider what extra support might be needed to identify and address the needs of children from groups with disproportionally high rates of exclusion, in order to reduce their risk of exclusion. This includes children with special education needs, Gypsy/Roma, Travellers of Irish Heritage and Black Caribbean pupils. Schools also have a clear legal duty not to discriminate against pupils under the Equality Act 2010.

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and parents, can access impartial information, advice and support from their local information, advice and support service, which local authorities are under a duty to provide.

The Government announced in March that Edward Timpson CBE will lead a review of exclusions which will explore how head teachers use exclusion in practice, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. The review will aim to report by the end of the year.