£21k fine for exclusions ‘won’t happen’, says council official

The council officer behind a controversial plan to charge schools £21,000 for exclusions has now said it “won’t happen” and is “legally dubious”.

Schools Week revealed last week that Devon County Council planned to introduce an exclusions “levy” under an inclusion push.

But headteachers said the plan was “financial blackmail”. Experts added that they were also probably illegal.

Now Jack Newton, deputy director and head of schools at Devon, has told headteachers the plans are “extremely unlikely” to happen.

‘Don’t think we should go ahead with this’

“I don’t think we should go ahead with this,” he told heads in a meeting on Friday. “That’s my response to the proposal. I don’t think we’re ready for this kind of measure.”

“How would you implement something that is potentially legally dubious, has caused this level of unrest, and maybe doesn’t even solve the problem it was designed to?”

The council said that rising exclusion rates were no longer affordable. The levy could raise £5.1 million to help fund provision for pupils booted out of school.

The plan was part of a wider consultation, which closed yesterday. The council said it was analysing responses, which would be considered in January, with no decision yet made.

Councils are not permitted to levy a charge on exclusions. But councillor Andrew Leadbetter, the cabinet member for schools, said this week the plan was to “enter into local agreements with schools to ensure the best results for our children”.

But ‘too many young people excluded from Devon schools’…

He added: “We understand that other local authority areas also seek to reach local agreements to address the issue.

“We are listening to schools, but there are too many young people being permanently excluded from Devon schools.”

Newton also told heads they “have to do something different” and all “take collective responsibility”.

He said: “Many schools do whatever it takes to try and include the children in front of us, but let’s not pretend that we’re all doing that, because it’s not true.”