Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will commence the review of school exclusions and implications for pupil groups disproportionately represented in exclusion statistics, including those with special needs and disabilities.

The government launched the attached review of school exclusions, led by the former Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families (Edward Timpson) on Friday 16 March. The review will help us to understand how and why schools use exclusion, what drives the variation we see in exclusion rates and, in particular, the disproportionate exclusion of some groups including black Caribbean boys, Children in Need, Looked After Children, and those with Special Educational Needs. The review will also explore and identify effective practice, which can be shared across the system.

As part of this review, we also published our call for evidence, at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-absence-and-exclusions-team/exclusions-review-call-for-evidence/. We are seeking views from parents, children, schools, local authorities and other organisations, about their experiences, practice and evidence. Responses should be submitted by 6 May 2018.