A suspension is where a pupil is temporarily removed from the school and details of when this sanction will be considered should be set out within the school's behaviour policy.
Behaviour management tool
The government recognises that school suspensions, along with managed moves and off-site direction are essential behaviour management tools for headteachers. They can be used to establish high standards of behaviour in schools and maintain the safety of school communities.
For most pupils, suspensions and permanent exclusions may not be necessary, as other strategies can manage behaviour. However, if approaches towards behaviour management have been exhausted, suspensions and permanent exclusions will sometimes be necessary as a last resort.
This is to ensure that other pupils and teaching staff are protected from disruption and can learn in safe, calm, and supportive environments.
Periods of suspensions
A pupil may be suspended for one or more fixed periods (up to a maximum of 45 school days in a single academic year).
Any suspension or exclusion of a pupil, even for short periods, such as a half day, must be formally recorded. An informal or unofficial exclusion, such as sending a pupil home 'to cool off', is unlawful when it does not follow the formal school exclusion process, regardless of whether it occurs with the agreement of parents.
It is important that during a suspension, pupils still receive their education. Headteachers should take steps to ensure that work is set and marked for pupils during the first five school days of a suspension. This can include utilising any online pathways such as Google Classroom or Oak National Academy. Any time a pupil is sent home due to disciplinary reasons and asked to log on or utilise online pathways should always be recorded as a suspension.
The school's legal duties to pupils with disabilities or special educational needs remain in force, for example, to make reasonable adjustments in how they support disabled pupils during this period.
Notification of suspensions
Whenever a headteacher suspends or permanently excludes a pupil they must, without delay, notify parents of the period of the suspension or permanent exclusion and the reason(s) for it. ECC has provided some model letters that you may wish to use.
The local authority must be informed without delay of all school exclusions regardless of the length of the exclusion. To facilitate this schools are asked to forward a copy of the suspension letter issued to parents to suspensions@essex.gov.uk
In addition, when the headteacher suspends or permanently excludes a pupil they must, without delay, after their decision, also notify the pupil's social worker, if they have one, and the Virtual School head if the pupil is a child in care.
For further advice and guidance, contact the Education Access Team:
Duty line: 0333 0322 534
Email: suspensions@essex.gov.uk
Useful documents and links from DfE
- Suspension and Permanent Exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England, including pupil movement
- Behaviour in Schools - Advice for headteachers and school staff
- Model Letter 1 Suspension below 5 days (Word, 33.4KB)
- Model Letter 2 Suspension 5 to 15 days (Word, 35.5KB)
- Model Letter 3 Suspension period more than 15 days (Word, 34.3KB)
- Education Access Exclusion Guidance (Word, 33.5KB)