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Children at risk of exclusion – Checklist of expectations

National government guidance, legislation and local Somerset context with regard to children and young people who present with challenging behaviour and are at risk of exclusion from school.

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Children at risk of exclusion – Checklist of expectations: Step by step

National government guidance, legislation and local Somerset context with regard to children and young people who present with challenging behaviour and are at risk of exclusion from school.

1Reasonable Adjustments

National Guidance or Legislation, and expectations

  1. Reasonable Adjustments

2In-school support and Identification of additional needs

National Guidance or Legislation, and expectations

  1. Step 1: In-school support and Identification of additional needs

3Engaging Specialist Support

National Guidance or Legislation, and expectations

  1. Step 2: Engaging Specialist Support

4Alternatives to exclusion and pre-exclusion considerations

National Guidance or Legislation, and expectations

  1. Step 3: Alternatives to exclusion and pre-exclusion considerations

5Specific situations

Pupils with an EHCP, Pupils who are looked after, one-off breach, and references

  1. Specific situations

Checklist of Expectations - Reasonable Adjustments

National Guidance and or Legislation

Schools must also ensure that any provision, criterion, or practice does not discriminate against pupils by unfairly increasing their risk of exclusion. For example, if reasonable adjustments have not been made for a pupil with a disability that can manifest itself in breaches of school rules if needs are not met, a decision to exclude may be discriminatory (DfE, 2023, p.10).

Expectations

Legal duties under the Equality Act (2010) must be followed when considering an exclusion for a child or young person who may have a protected characteristic. An exclusion may be discriminatory where the behaviour displayed is linked to an unmet need, failure to make suitable provision and/or make reasonable adjustments.

Further resources

You can watch again the Autism and ADHD SENCO Discussion Group session with Educational Psychology on reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent children and young people from February 2025, or download the presentation.

Last updated: March 6, 2025

Next review due: September 6, 2025

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