Exclusions Policy

Duck Street, Cerne Abbas, Dorset, DT2 7LA

‘The Small School with the Big Heart.’

Tel: 01300 341319                e-mail:office@cerneabbas.dorset.sch.uk                Website: www.cerneabbas.dorset.sch.uk

Cerne Abbas CE VC First School Exclusions Policy

Our vision is to be the best we can be.

We are committed to nurturing every child to thrive in a safe and engaging environment based on our Christian values of Peace, Trust, Friendship, Forgiveness, Courage and Joy. We strive to develop happy and confident learners ready to face the challenges of their next steps.

Exclusion in our school has always been extremely rare because of the consistent application of the Behaviour policy alongside the Relationship Policy and the importance placed on teaching our Christian values. However, the school does need to have the use of exclusions as a final sanction where the welfare of other pupils and staff is put at risk by unacceptable behaviour.

 The Law and Procedures - Set out clearly in Dfes/0087/2003.

Exclusions will only be considered at our school as a last resort when other strategies have been exhausted. 

Examples of behaviour which may lead to consideration of exclusion are:

• violence or aggression to staff or children which does not improve with other strategies given below
• persistent bullying which is causing other children distress where other strategies have failed to improve the situation
• persistent behaviour which continuously disrupts and disturbs the learning of others and which has not been improved by use of strategies below over a period of time
• harassment of other children on the basis of their abilities, disabilities, race etc which has not been improved by the use of the strategies below over a period of time
• deliberate damage to property, including children’s work.

Procedure

Before exclusion is implemented, various strategies, including the intervention of an Emotionally Engaged Adult to help the child understand his emotions and the involvement of parents, must have been used and exhausted. The school will consider the extent to which it can rely on the support of the parents of the child concerned. The supportive and positive response of parents to incidents is crucial.

Where the school experiences problems with a child’s behaviour of the kind set out above, the child’s class teacher will consult with the headteacher. The Procedures for Dealing with Emotional/Behavioural Difficulties will be followed. The support of DCC Behaviour Support Teachers will be enlisted. If after this support, the problem persists a Serious Behaviour File will be opened which sets out clearly:

• the behaviour to be improved and priorities to be addressed
• the rewards for improvement
•  the consequences if it continues
• a way of recording the frequency of incidents (eg Log etc.)
• who is involved
• how parents have been informed

Within seven days of the decision to open a Serious Behaviour File a letter will be sent by the school to the child’s parents or carer containing the following information:

• advising that a Serious Behaviour File has been opened
• identifying the behaviour to be improved
• setting out the consequences if the behaviour continues, including the possibility of exclusion
• inviting them to a meeting to discuss the contents of the file
• advising them that they will be informed of their child’s progress on at least a weekly basis for the period the file is open
• that once a child’s behaviour is improved the file will be closed and this will be confirmed in writing.

Summary Exclusion

 In very rare and serious cases a child’s behaviour may put other pupils and staff at immediate risk of harm. In such cases it will be necessary to exclude a pupil for one day without prior notice. In most cases, however, we would hope that a  letter to parents explaining the behaviour, its unacceptability and consequences of any repetition will be a more productive approach.

 Only the headteacher has the power to exclude a pupil. Parents will be informed immediately by telephone or by letter of the decision to exclude the child and a meeting will be organised to discuss the situation.

 Each of these cases should be judged on its merits; staff must ensure that they are fully aware of the facts, by taking written statements of the details of any incident that has led to the decision to exclude, before acting.