The National Children’s Bureau, the Association of School and College Leaders and IPSEA, have published a guide to the legal and unlawful use of exclusions and other practices such as off-rolling. Schools, parents and pupils alike will benefit from clear information about their legal powers and rights.

Pupils can experience school exclusion in many different ways and the language used to describe exclusions can itself be confusing. In this context, it can be difficult to notice where exclusions are used in a way that is not consistent with the law.

Our factsheet defines the different terms that are used to describe exclusions and what their legal basis is:

Download: Exclusions factsheet

Some of the guidance the factsheet links to has been updated. Please see further guidance on exclusion from school, and what you should do if your child has been excluded, on our website here.