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13 April 2026

Tag: exclusions

Trust praised by ministers tops suspensions tables in Ofsted’s areas of concern

An academy trust praised by ministers tops the fixed-term exclusions tables in four authorities that concern Ofsted Exclusions divide education. The government’s Timpson Review is currently looking at the practice and earlier this year Ofsted wrote to schools in ten local authorities about their high fixed-term exclusion rates. Six of those ten have provided figures […]

Can we get some clear messaging from Ofsted on exclusions?

Ofsted is giving mixed messages to schools about exclusions, and it’s only going to push the problem underground, says Mark Lehain Recent years have seen ever greater attempts by Ofsted to be more transparent in its decision making, and engage more widely with professionals and the public. Being able to interact with senior staff at […]

Students stage underground poster campaign against school exclusions

An anonymous group of south London students have chosen GCSE results day to stage a protest about school exclusions, by replacing posters on the Northern line with images of an underground line running from ‘School to Prison’. The imaginary train line pictured on the posters travels from being ‘sent out of class’, through ‘detention’, ‘isolation’, […]

More exclusions are definitely NOT the answer

Jules Daulby hits back against the claim that the number of pupils being excluded from mainstream schools might be too low In a recent article for Schools Week, John Blake, head of education at the influential think tank, Policy Exchange, appears to be fist-pumping the air, celebrating the rise in exclusions and salivating over the idea […]

Is this the real exclusions ‘scandal’ – leaving too many kids in mainstream?

How can the education committee claim the current level of school exclusions is too high, when no one even knows what the correct level should be, argues John Blake Every child in England is entitled to an education. Thus, this week’s report from the parliamentary education committee, on the experiences of students removed from mainstream schools as […]

How can we improve outcomes for excluded pupils?

Fifteen years ago I met a vicar in a bar in Oxford who had spent 20 years working in prisons with violent male offenders. He told me that the youngest ones only had two shots at turning their lives around. “Either they find Jesus, or their girlfriend gets pregnant and they suddenly get the preciousness […]

Permanent exclusion is the punishment of last resort, but it’s sometimes necessary

Even with an inclusive approach and a clear behaviour policy, permanent exclusion is sometimes necessary to protect staff or students, says Jacqueline Valin Pupil exclusions are finally on the political radar, and it’s heartening to see the issue being publicly examined. With permanent and fixed-term exclusion rates on the rise, the question of when, or […]