Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland No.4 : 2013 Edition

Exclusions

In Scotland, the power exists to exclude children and young people from school where it is considered that to allow the child or young person to continue attendance at school would be seriously detrimental to order and discipline in the school or the educational wellbeing of the learners there. However, the number of exclusions has been falling year on year since 2006/07. This reflects ongoing hard work by schools and local authorities and a real concerted effort to improve relationships and behaviour and work with our children and young people most at risk of exclusion.

Table 5.1 below provides information on the number of cases of exclusion in recent academic years. Information on exclusions was not collected in 2011/12, as this data is now collected only once every two years. Over 99.9 per cent of all exclusions are for a fixed period of time, referred to here as temporary exclusions, and pupils are expected to return to their original school when the exclusion period is completed. In a small number of cases, 21 in 2012/13, an excluded pupil is 'removed from the register'. When this occurs a pupil does not return to their original school and will be educated at another school or in some other educational provision.

Table 5.1: Cases of exclusion and rate per 1,000 pupils by type of exclusion, 2006/07 to 2012/13 ⁽¹⁾

(1) Information on exclusions is now collected on a biennial basis see background note 2.6 for more information.

(2) Amended on 11 February 2014 to include information on 3 Edinburgh and 16 Highland exclusions that were supplied after the publication date.