To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's document, Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England: 2016 to 2017, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons why (a) Black Caribbean pupils had a permanent exclusion rate nearly three times higher than the school population as a whole, (b) pupils of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage ethnic groups had the highest rates of both permanent exclusions and (c) pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals accounted for 40 per cent of all permanent exclusions.
Answered on
25 July 2018
The Department’s statutory guidance on exclusions is clear that all schools should consider what extra support might be needed to identify and address the needs of children from groups with disproportionally high rates of exclusion, in order to reduce their risk of exclusion. This includes children with special education needs, Gypsy/Roma, Travellers of Irish Heritage and Black Caribbean pupils. Schools also have a clear legal duty not to discriminate against pupils under the Equality Act 2010.
Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and parents, can access impartial information, advice and support from their local information, advice and support service, which local authorities are under a duty to provide.
The Government announced in March that Edward Timpson CBE will lead a review of exclusions which will explore how head teachers use exclusion in practice, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. The review will aim to report by the end of the year.