For permanent exclusions the head teacher of a school will notify the Inclusion Service, if they're considering a permanent exclusion, or on the day that the permanent exclusion has been issued. This is completed in the first instance via a phone call to the Inclusion duty desk on 0116 305 2071. Contact should also be made with the area SEIP to discuss available options. Contact details are available on the Leics SEIPs website.
We are committed to the principles of inclusion in education, advocating the rights of children and young people to access high quality education in settings within their own communities whenever possible.
We may not always feel we have the appropriate capacity to meet the needs of all children who want to attend our settings and provisions, but we will aim to support and work together with schools and settings to address this.
Leicestershire Schools, colleges and academies are at the centre of driving inclusive practice and have an extensive range of research, resources and advice on achieving this.
Support for senior leaders, teachers and support staff can be accessed through a range of schools, including local teaching school alliances, such as the Leicestershire Teaching School Alliance.
The Inclusion service is one of many services within the authority that can also work alongside schools and other education establishments to enable links to teams and resources within the Local authority that help to remove barriers in achieving inclusion. Working alongside local authorities, borough and district services, commissioned and voluntary groups our aim is to help increase access to inclusive strategies and/or support for all learners especially those who are most vulnerable, and establishing the links you need to form an inclusive environment.
Access support services to prevent an exclusion
We have a range of support available to help you to consider and achieve inclusive practice:
Inclusion Service
You can contact the Inclusion Service for advice or to make a referral, if you're a parent or carer, or school or professional concerned about a child's or young person's access to, or inclusion in, high quality education, employment or training.
Education effectiveness partners
The Education effectiveness partners provide a range of effective and efficient good practice guidance, advice and support to senior leaders around school management guidance and operational delivery.
Phone: 0116 305 3365, Email: Educationeffectiveness@leics.gov.uk
LEAMIS
LEAMIS offer a range of technical support, resource, and training to support the infrastructure of the school.
Governor Development Service (GDS)
The Governor Development Service offer a range of advice, support and training to governors, advisory boards, and clerks.
Phone: 0116 305 6503, Email: Governors@leics.gov.uk
Early Years
Early Years offer examples to implement good practice to enable inclusive environments for pre-school children.
Leicestershire County Council resources - Good practice and guidance for inclusive provision
Oakfield short stay school (Primary)
The Oakfield short stay school offer advice and support around risk of exclusions and can offer inclusive solutions to children and young people who attend primary school settings.
Phone: 07725 204134, Email: Oakfield@leics.gov.uk
Secondary Education and Inclusion Partnerships (SEIPs)
The Secondary Education and Inclusion Partnerships offer advice and support around risk of exclusions and can offer inclusive solutions to children and young people who attend secondary school settings.
This is separated in to 5 areas:
- Hinckley and Bosworth education partnership (HBEP), email: kwicks@hbep.co.uk
- Loughborough inclusion partnership (LIP), email: alison.hodges@lncip-cit.co.uk
- Melton and South Charnwood inclusion partnership, email: hmasoum@wreake.bepschools.org
- North West Leicestershire inclusion partership (NWLLIP), email: simon.chetwyn@castlerock.org.uk
- South Leicestershire inclusion partnership (SLIP), email: erogers@countesthorpe.cc
Educational Psychology Service
The Educational Psychology Service provide information for parents and carers, young people and children about how they can support inclusion and learning, wellbeing, and positive futures for all.
Specialist Teaching Service
The Specialist Teaching Service work with partners to provide coordinated and effective support and advice for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Leicestershire.
Legal Service – education and employment
Initial advice and traded service for legal matters regarding educational legislation.
Phone: 0116 305 6012, Email: Oonagh.O’neill@leics.gov.uk
Inclusion advice updates from our teaching schools
Six recommendations for improving behaviour in school
Learn-AT associate research school is part of the Research school network, working in Leicestershire, Leicester, Rutland and Northamptonshire, and provides access to publications from the Education endowment foundation which includes the guidance report on improving behaviour in schools.
The EEF guidance report is designed to support senior leaders in primary and secondary schools to make better-informed decisions about their behaviour strategies. It includes a number of practical examples of programmes and approaches that should be helpful in schools and classrooms where behaviour is generally good as where there are problems.
For more information and to access the briefing please contact, Learn-AT Teaching School:
Phone: 01858 383155, Email: Office@ts.learnat.uk
Risk of exclusion
Where you are unsure about how to support the needs of a child and behaviours are impacting that child, other students, staff or the environment, schools and settings can seek the advice of the Inclusion service and Inclusion forums. Here you can access advice on strategies from a range of agencies and the support to help prevent exclusion.
Children with EHCPs, Child in need or Child protection plan
You should also consider whether it is appropriate to arrange an interim review, if for example the child’s needs have changed and it is considered that this could impact on the ability for the provision to meet his/her needs.
EHCP reviews
Contact the Special Educational Needs Assessment (SENA) Team
The SENA Team can be contacted on 0116 305 6600 during office hours or by emailing them at SENAservice@leics.gov.uk
Child in need / Child protection plan
Contact the social worker or social worker team who is supporting the child.
The social care teams can be accessed via First response professionals on 0116 305 5500.
Notifying us of any exclusions
Leicestershire schools and educational settings have continued to agree to a policy of minimal use of exclusions which has been in place since 2013.
Schools notify the local authority about any fixed term or permanent exclusions prior to or when they happen.
Notifications are sent in by schools on the day of the exclusions for fixed term exclusions in various ways depending on systems access.
This can be via our online Record Absence Data form.
The exclusion will be discussed with the head teacher to confirm the nature of the incident, support options, process and next steps. Following this the school will confirm if they are continuing with the permanent exclusion by the end of the day and this will be confirmed via secure email.
Where a permanent exclusion has been rescinded, the head teacher will inform the Inclusion service of the alternative outcome.
Where the permanent exclusion has been upheld, the Inclusion service will confirm with the necessary services to enable education to be in place by day 6 of the permanent exclusion and will formally notify the chair of governors of that school of the exclusion and the process the need to follow.
We will also notify Governor development service so that they are able to offer any support to the governors regarding the process where required.
The Inclusions service use the fixed term exclusions data to monitor the levels of exclusions within each school. Where exclusion levels are high the Inclusion service will make contact with the school to discuss any support requirements needed.