Exclusion and reintegration: what happens next

A fixed-period suspension (formerly called a "fixed-term exclusion") or a permanent exclusion is a significant moment for any pupil and family, and understanding what should happen next helps everyone act quickly rather than losing time.

For a suspension, the school must provide suitable full-time education from the sixth school day of the suspension (or immediately for repeated suspensions in some circumstances). This is often delivered through short-term Alternative Provision commissioned by the school, particularly where the suspension relates to behaviour that a period of reflection or a different environment could help address.

For a permanent exclusion, the local authority must arrange suitable full-time alternative education from the sixth school day, and the family has a right to make representations to the governing board and, in many cases, an independent review panel. Permanent exclusion should not be treated as a "dead end" — a well-matched, often smaller and more structured AP placement afterward can be a genuine turning point, particularly where the underlying driver (undiagnosed SEND, SEMH needs, or a mismatch with the previous school environment) is properly identified and addressed this time.

Reintegration-focused provision typically supports pupils to build the skills, confidence and routines needed to succeed either back in a mainstream setting or in a new permanent school, through:

• A calmer, more closely-staffed environment with a lower pupil-to-adult ratio.
• Explicit work on the specific behaviours or circumstances that led to exclusion, often alongside pastoral or therapeutic input.
• A phased, carefully monitored return where mainstream re-entry is the goal, rather than an abrupt full-time restart.
• Close, regular communication between the provider, the family, and any receiving school.

If English, maths and other core subjects can be maintained in parallel with reintegration-focused work, that materially improves a pupil's later options — ask any prospective provider directly how they maintain core curriculum access, not just behaviour support, during a reintegration-focused placement.