Permanent exclusion

Permanent exclusion is the most serious sanction a school has, and government guidance says it should be a last resort. The governing board must review the decision, you have the right to make your case to them, and if they uphold it you can ask for an independent review panel Panel A meeting where professionals decide things like funding or a place on a waiting list. Parents are not in the room, but you can still ask how a decision was made. Read the full definition of Panel to look at it again.

Neurodivergent Neurodivergent Neurodivergent means a brain that works in its own way, not the way most people expect. Autistic people, and people with ADHD or dyslexia, are all neurodivergent. Read the full definition of Neurodivergent children are excluded more often than their classmates. If the behaviour that led to the exclusion is connected to your child's disability or unmet needs, the exclusion may be unlawful discrimination, and that is worth raising early.

Ask for the exclusion letter, the school's evidence and the deadlines in writing, and contact SENDIASS SENDIASS A free advice service for parents in every council area in England. Its advisers are on no one's side, and they help you work out what to do next. Read the full definition of SENDIASS or an education advice line straight away: the time limits for challenging are short.