A Schools Week investigation has revealed that councils across England are consistently failing to meet their legal duty to provide full-time education for expelled pupils within six days. In some cases, children have waited up to two years to return to school, despite a legal requirement for local authorities to act swiftly.
With expulsions reaching record highs, the average time to secure education for excluded pupils has also increased in many areas. In some regions, not a single expelled child was placed in a suitable school within the mandated six-day window.
Sarah Johnson, an alternative education consultant with 20 years of experience, described the situation as a “crisis.” She emphasized, “Access to education is not a privilege—it is a fundamental right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. If we are failing to meet our legal obligations, we must ask: what systemic issues are preventing children from attending school?”
“We Should All Be Worried”
Government guidelines state that councils must ensure excluded pupils are placed in suitable full-time education by the sixth day after their expulsion. However, data obtained by Schools Week shows widespread non-compliance.
Of the 58 councils that provided data for the past year, more than 75% failed to place all excluded pupils in full-time education within six days. In seven councils, at least one child waited six months or more for a school place—30 times longer than the legal requirement. In two councils, some pupils waited two years.
The problem is not limited to isolated cases. In 12 areas, three-quarters of excluded pupils did not receive suitable education within six days. Many councils admitted they do not even record this data, suggesting they may be unaware of the scale of the issue.
Kiran Gill, CEO of the charity The Difference, warned, “We should all be concerned. The most vulnerable children—those who need the structure and purpose of school the most—are being left without an education.”
A Department for Education spokesperson acknowledged the severity of the issue, stating, “These shocking figures highlight the extent of the disruption to children’s learning and the scale of the challenge we face.”
Vulnerable Children at Greater Risk
Some councils are particularly struggling to meet their obligations. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), Cumberland, Dudley, and Warrington had the worst records in 2023-24, with over 90% of excluded pupils not receiving suitable education within six days.
At BCP, 65 pupils excluded last year were still without education after six days. This figure is higher than the total number of exclusions for the year (36), indicating that some pupils excluded in 2022-23 are still waiting for a school place. The average wait in the area is 41 days.
Councillor Richard Burton, BCP’s cabinet member for children, explained that pupils waiting longer than six days often require tailored solutions. “Online learning is not suitable for younger children or those with special educational needs. In these cases, we work with multi-agency professionals and families to develop bespoke solutions.”.
