No child should be excluded from school for an indefinite period, or for a non-disciplinary reason, or without formal notice in writing from the head. This includes children who are below compulsory school age (those under 5), and young people who are above compulsory school age (those in sixth form). See the statutory guidance ‘Exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England’ for more information.

What the school must do depends on how long the exclusion is for:

Fixed term for up to 5 days

Fixed term for between 5 and 15 days

Fixed term for over 15 days

Permanent exclusions