Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following the recent Ofsted survey which showed that one-fifth of teachers have witnessed off-rolling in their schools where pupils are informally excluded.

A pupil can only be deleted lawfully from the admission register of a school on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended. The department has recently written to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules surrounding exclusion.

Schools can exclude pupils, either permanently or for a fixed period, for disciplinary reasons. The department supports schools in using exclusion where this is warranted. Permanent exclusion should be used only as a last resort, in response to a serious breach or persistent breaches of the school's behaviour policy and where allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.

The attached statutory guidance on exclusions is clear that ‘informal’ or ‘unofficial’ exclusions, such as sending a pupil home ‘to cool off’, are unlawful, regardless of whether they occur with the agreement of parents or carers. Any exclusion of a pupil, even for short periods of time, must be formally recorded.

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, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It will also consider the practice in schools in relation to directing pupils to alternative provision without excluding. The review aims to report by the end of the year. The full terms of reference document is attached.