The research evidence on exclusions from school make for grim reading.

The 2013 Edinburgh Study on Youth Transition and Crime found that pupils who were excluded from school at age twelve were four times more likely to be jailed as adults.

Boys, children living in single parent families, and pupils from the poorest communities were most likely to be excluded from school. Equally badly behaved pupils from more affluent areas and those from two parent families were accorded greater tolerance and, as a consequence, were far less likely to be expelled.

The study findings show that one of the keys to tackling Scotland’s high imprisonment rates is to tackle school exclusion. If we could find more imaginative ways of retaining the most challenging children in mainstream education, and ensuring that school is a positive experience for all Scotland’s young people, this would be a major step forward.
– Professor Susan McVie, Co-director of the study

Additionally, Scottish Government statistics from December 2015 reveal that pupils with additional support needs are more than four times more likely to be excluded than pupils with no additional support needs.

And all of this records only formal exclusions, for which there is a paper trail. By definition, the use of “informal exclusions”, cooling off periods, invitations to remove a child, part-time timetables and other means of denying a child their right to education – are not recorded and therefore not widely understood. Anecdotally, this affects children with additional support needs and/or disabilities disproportionately.

Parents (and children with capacity – usually aged 12 or over) have a right of appeal against a school exclusion, whether it is a temporary exclusion or a removal from the school roll.

As things stand, an appeal will be heard, in the first instance, by the education appeal committee. After that, the parent, young person or child has a further right of appeal to the Sheriff Court. The appeal committee has the power to confirm or overturn the exclusion, and to vary any conditions for readmission. The Sheriff, on appeal, has the same powers.

In terms of the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014, this jurisdiction will be transferred to the First-Tier Tribunal for Scotland in due course – which is a very welcome change. A right of further appeal will lie to the Upper Tribunal for Scotland. This should make the process of appeal more transparent, independent and accessible.

The right of appeal only applies in relation to public schools, i.e. those managed by the local authority – although some independent schools may have equivalent procedure in place (e.g. an appeal to the board of governors).

Where the excluded child has a disability, an exclusion from school may amount to unlawful disability discrimination in terms of the Equality Act 2010. This is a complex piece of legislation and it can be difficult to tell without specific legal advice whether an act of discrimination has taken place.

A disability claim can be made in respect of any school exclusion, whether the school is an independent, grant-aided or education authority school. Such claims must be made within six months of the exclusion, and are heard by the Additional Support Needs Tribunals for Scotland. The Tribunals have much broader powers that the appeal committee, which might include ordering an apology, staff training, a change in the school’s (or Council’s) policy on exclusions etc. The Tribunal cannot, however, make an order for compensation.

Where a child with additional support needs has been excluded from school, do remember that there are routes by which that decision can be challenged. Particularly where the use of exclusion has become commonplace or is adversely affecting the child’s education or wellbeing, an appeal or a disability claim may be well worth considering.