Introduction
The local education authority should have an exclusions officer/inclusions officer, or comparable person with responsibility for overseeing exclusions within the local authority area. It can be helpful to try to contact the local education authority to speak with the exclusions officer. In accordance with the exclusions guidance, the exclusions officer should already have been informed of the permanent exclusion by the school.
Contacting the exclusions officer
To contact the exclusions officer, contact the local education authority's general number and ask for the exclusions officer. Where multiple authorities overlap, one of them will be the local education authority. This is the correct authority to contact to find the exclusion officer.
Role of the exclusions officer
The exclusion officer will frequently take a stance on the exclusion. LEAs are usually eager to reduce the number of exclusions in their area. If they believe that the exclusion is unnecessary or that a viable alternative exists, they can be a valuable resource in assisting you and the young person in challenging or avoiding an exclusion.
Downloads
To contact the exclusions officer to discuss alternatives to exclusion, consider using the Suggested Text document: Making first contact with the local authority
Next step?
Once you have made contact with the exclusions officer, continue to the next step.
