§ Lord Northbourneasked Her Majesty's Government:
What they are doing to ensure that boys who have dropped out of school, or been excluded, receive the full-time education they need and the motivation to make the best of it. [HL1591]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)The Government have asked local education authorities to ensure that by September 2002 all pupils who have dropped out of school, or have been excluded, receive full-time education.
I expect that permanently excluded pupils should rejoin a mainstream or special school within days or weeks of exclusion. Rapid reintegration is particularly important for excluded primary pupils and I expect that most of these pupils would be reintegrated within one term. Conversely, for pupils approaching the end of compulsory schooling, a return to school may be unrealistic.
98WAReintegration panels are responsible for coordinating services for excluded pupils. They must draw up an individual reintegration plan for each excluded child. This plan should be in place within a month of the governors upholding the exclusion and it is reviewed on a monthly basis. It should include a target date for return to school, once the school to which the child will return has been identified.