BroadstoneMiddle School

The school views suspension as a last resort. It usually occurs only in extreme cases where behaviour of pupils directly affects the health and safety of themselves or others. Before making a decision to suspend, the school will ensure that a thorough investigation has been carried out, including allowing the pupil to give their version of the events, seeking any witness statements and considering any evidence of provocation. Any record of previous misdemeanours may be taken into consideration.

No pupil will be sent off site before the end of the day unless contact has been established with parents/carers/nominated responsible adult. In the event of contact not being made, the pupil must remain on site, withdrawn from class until the end of the normal school day. At the point of suspension, a letter will be sent home via first class post (and email if the responsible adult has an email address), stating the reason for the suspension. Telephone contact will be made with the parents/carers of the student informing them of the suspension. All suspensions will be recorded centrally in the School Exclusion Record by the Head of Year and on school record keeping systems (eg. SIMS). The Chair of Governors will be informed of all exclusions, both fixed term and permanent on a monthly basis.

Suspension will be enforced after investigating the circumstances of an event or on an immediate basis. The decision to suspend is at the discretion of the Head Teacher, Senior Leadership Team or Head of Year.

Suspension or Exclusion may take one of three forms:

• Internal suspension – the decision to follow this course of action and to determine its duration will be taken by a Head of Year or a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The pupil will be removed from a whole class teaching environment and, although following their normal daily curriculum, be required to work on their own under close supervision.
• Fixed term suspension – the decision to follow this course of action and determine its duration will be taken by the Head Teacher or, in the Head Teacher’s absence, a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Any action taken will adhere to BCP Council’s policy. Parents/carers will be contacted immediately and required to withdraw the pupil from the school premises, at which point the pupil becomes the responsibility of their parents/carers. An suspended pupil must not be present in a public place during school hours. The school will provide work for the period of the suspension. On the pupil’s return to school a reintegration meeting will be held with the Head of Year to discuss how best to manage the pupil’s return to school and establish a behaviour contract.
• Permanent exclusion – this is the school’s ultimate sanction. Parents will be fully involved in the process. Pupils face permanent exclusion when their behaviour constitutes a serious breach of school rules and/or is considered a significant threat to the health and safety of themselves or others