Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has plans to commission an independent investigation into trends in the level of school exclusions; and if he will make a statement.

In March, the Government launched an externally led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review will explore how head teachers use exclusion in practice, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It will also consider the differences in exclusion rates between areas and schools across England.

The review will aim to report by the end of the year. The full terms of reference for the review can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusions-review-terms-of-reference.