Governors Meetings

As a parent or carer, you have the right to attend the governors’ meeting about your child’s permanent exclusion. This meeting must usually take place within 15 school days of the exclusion and gives you the chance to share your views and concerns.

Your child’s views are very important. Your child can attend the meeting if they want to, or they can share their views in writing. You can also talk to your child and write down what they want to say on their behalf.

You can ask the school for all of the paperwork linked to the exclusion. The meeting should be arranged for a time when you are able to attend. If the date or time does not work for you, you can ask the school to rearrange it.

The meeting is usually held face to face. However, parents or pupils aged 18 or over can ask for the meeting to take place online. The governors will need to be confident that the meeting can still be run fairly if it is held in this way.

You can bring a friend, family member or representative with you for support. The school will tell you who will be attending the meeting and will send you copies of any written evidence or information at least 5 days in advance.

Find out more about Governing Body Duties

What to expect at the Governors meeting

Preparing your case for the meeting

Read through all the paperwork carefully (sometimes called the bundle).
Check that the dates make sense and line up. Are there any gaps where time periods are not explained?
Check who will be on the Governors’ panel.
- If someone has previously been involved with you or your child and you are concerned they may not be impartial, raise this as soon as you receive the meeting details.
Check the Head Teacher’s letter to see if it clearly explains whether the permanent exclusion is for:
- One serious incident, or
- Persistent disruptive behaviour over time
The paperwork should clearly support whichever reason has been given.

If the exclusion is for a one‑off incident:

Is it clear what the incident was?
Are there witness statements to support what is being said?
If lots of previous incidents are included, you can ask why these are there if the exclusion is based on a single incident.

If the exclusion is for persistent disruptive behaviour:

There should be records of incidents over time, such as behaviour logs and witness statements.
Check that these relate to significant incidents, not minor issues.

Witness statements

Witness statements should be dated and signed.
Check that the dates of incidents match the dates on the statements.
If statements have been anonymised so much that it is unclear what happened or who said what, you can challenge this.
You can ask why statements have been anonymised.
- It is important for your child to know who is making allegations, especially if there has been a disagreement or conflict.
Consider:
- How soon were statements taken after the incident?
- If the statements are from children, do they sound like the child’s own words, or do they appear guided or influenced?

Behaviour policy

Read the school’s behaviour policy.
- The Head Teacher should make this known to parents at least once a year – it should not just sit on the school website.
Check whether the policy:
- Explains how behaviour expectations are adjusted for children with SEND
- Is something your child can understand, or whether there is a pupil‑friendly version
- Is clear and understandable for you as a parent

Other important points

Were you clearly told that your child was at risk of permanent exclusion?
Was this explained to you before the decision was made?

Things you may want to ask or check

SEN Support

Is your child on the SEN register?
- If yes, for what reason and for how long?
- If not, why not?
- If they were previously on it and removed, why was this decision made?
Have you had the chance to review your child’s support with the school?
Does your child have:
- A Pastoral Support Plan (PSP)? If so, was it reviewed regularly?
- One planning? If so, was it reviewed?
- A Risk Assessment (RA)? Was it reviewed and shared with you?
If any of these plans exist and you haven’t seen them, you can ask why they were not shared.
Were targets in plans realistic and achievable (SMART), or did they set your child up to fail?

If your child has an EHCP

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), did the school hold an emergency annual review before deciding on permanent exclusion?
What reasonable adjustments were made to reduce the risk of incidents happening?
(Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must make reasonable adjustments for pupils with disabilities, including conditions such as ADHD and autism.)
- For example, was there an agreed safe space your child could go to in order to calm down?
Was your child able to understand what was expected of them in the situation that led to the exclusion?

Staff awareness and training

How were staff made aware of your child’s needs and difficulties, and what support strategies were in place?
- This includes staff supervising unstructured times such as break and lunch.
If physical restraint was used:
- What was the reason for using physical restraint?
- Were the staff involved Team Teach (or equivalent) trained?
- When was the training completed and to what level?
- What type of holds were used?
- Is there a record or log showing what happened?
- What de‑escalation strategies were tried first, and what was said?
- Has a handling or positive behaviour policy been discussed and agreed with you?

De‑escalation and triggers

If your child had a meltdown before the incident:
- How much time were they given to calm down?
- Are staff trained to recognise triggers and early warning signs?
If there has been a sudden change or worsening in behaviour:
- Has the school tried to understand what may have caused this change?

Relationships and patterns

If the incident involved another pupil or staff member:
- Is there a history of difficulties between them?
- Have you raised concerns about this relationship in the past?
Are incidents linked to particular lessons, subjects or staff, or do they happen across different situations?

Communication and external support

Were you told in advance that your child was at risk of permanent exclusion?
Were your concerns listened to and taken seriously?
Did the school seek external professional advice, such as:
- An Educational Psychologist
- Inclusion Partner
- Engagement Facilitator
  If yes, what advice was given and how long was it tried for?
  If not, why not?
Has the school informed the local authority that your child was at risk of permanent exclusion?
Has the school:
- Requested additional funding (where appropriate)?
- Applied for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment?

Your child’s voice

Was your child given the opportunity to share their side of the story with someone they feel comfortable with, in a way that met their individual needs?
How does your child feel about what has happened now?
What has been the impact of the permanent exclusion on their wellbeing?

Important:
It can be very helpful to talk to your child about what happened, write down their views in their own words, and ask for this to be included in the paperwork for the Governors to consider.

Who will be present at a governor’s meeting?

The meeting will usually include:

Three school Governors – these Governors form the panel that will make the decision. They should have had no prior involvement with the incident or your child/young person.
The Clerk to the Governors – the Clerk takes notes of the meeting and advises the panel on relevant guidance and the law where needed.
The Head Teacher, and sometimes other members of school staff who can help answer questions, such as:
- The SENCo
- Head of Year
- Pastoral Lead
Parents or carers, plus:
- A representative (if you choose to arrange one), and/or
- A support person, such as a family member or friend

It can be helpful to bring someone with you to take notes during the meeting, particularly to write down the Head Teacher’s answers to any questions.

You should let the Clerk know in advance who will be attending the meeting with you.

What to have ready before the meeting

You may find it helpful to bring the following with you:

Pen and paper – to take notes during the meeting.
A drink – meetings can last several hours. Water is often provided, but this is not always the case.
A list of questions you would like to ask the Head Teacher. These may include questions about:
- The incident or incidents that led to the decision to permanently exclude.
- The steps the Head Teacher took to try to avoid permanent exclusion.
- The support that was in place for your child or young person.
A written statement – this can outline anything you would like the Governors to be aware of and consider when making their decision.
Copies of any additional evidence you would like the Governors to consider that is not already included in the school’s paperwork.
If possible, bring several copies (we usually suggest around 7) so that everyone can follow the information.
A brief summary for your closing statement – this should highlight your main concerns or key points. Please note that no new evidence should be introduced at this stage.

It helps if you set out your paperwork so that you have your questions, then your case, then your summary.

Advice on Preparing your Written Representation

Before the Meeting Starts

Before the meeting starts, you will be met by the Clerk to the Governors. The Clerk will introduce themselves and check whether you have any questions about what will happen.

You, and anyone supporting you, will usually wait in reception until the meeting is ready to begin.

Once everyone has arrived, the Clerk will collect you, anyone supporting you, the Head Teacher and any supporting school staff, and escort everyone into the meeting room together.

When everyone is settled, the Chair of Governors will:

Introduce themselves
Explain how the meeting will run
Explain the possible outcomes
Explain what will happen after the meeting

The Chair will also make sure everyone understands the order of speaking.

It is important that the meeting runs calmly and smoothly, and that everyone waits for their turn to speak.

You will be offered breaks at certain points in the meeting. If you need a break at any time, please say so.

What to expect at the Governors meeting

The Head Teacher will speak first
The Head Teacher will read their statement and explain the school’s position.
Questions from the Governors to the school
The Governors may ask the school questions to help them understand the situation fully.
Parents’ questions to the school
You will then have the opportunity to ask the school questions.
It can be helpful to prepare questions in advance and to refer to the information in the paperwork you were sent.
This is also your chance to challenge anything you feel is not accurate.
Parents’ statement
You will then be invited to read or present your statement to the Governors.
Questions from the Governors to parents
The Governors may ask you some questions. These will be questions you are able to answer, for example:
- Would you like your child to return to the school?
- How has your child or young person been affected by what has happened?
Questions from the school to parents
The school may ask you a small number of questions, or sometimes none at all. Again, these will be questions you will be able to answer.

Final part of the meeting

The Chair of Governors will usually check that everyone has seen the local authority’s response to the Head Teacher’s decision. If everyone agrees, this will not be read out again.

The Head Teacher will then be invited to make a short closing statement. This should not include any new information.

After that, you will be invited to give your closing statement. This is your chance to briefly summarise your main points and explain how the situation has affected your child. You should not introduce any new information at this stage.

After the meeting

The Chair of Governors will close the meeting and explain:

What will happen next
How and when you will be told the Governors’ decision

Fairness of procedure

Make a note of the time the meeting starts and finishes.
Make a note of the time you are contacted with the governors’ decision.
Important: The only person who is allowed to be alone with the governors at any time (before, during, or after the meeting) is the governors’ clerk.

Making sure the meeting is fair

We have highlighted some points you may want to consider:-

One side (for example, the Head Teacher) is given more time than you to explain their views.
The meeting feels rushed and there is not enough time for all the issues to be properly discussed.
You get the impression that the Head Teacher or school staff have spoken to the governors about the exclusion before the meeting (for example through comments such as “we talked about this earlier”), or because school staff are already in the room when you are invited in.
The governors appear unfriendly, abrupt, or less supportive towards you or your supporter than they are towards the Head Teacher or school staff.
You are not allowed to explain your views on a particular issue.

If you feel something is unfair, you can speak up. You can do this by calmly and politely explaining why you think what is happening is unfair.

Challenging a point

If you do need to challenge something:

Make a clear note of what you object to and how the governors respond.
Ask the note‑taker to make sure your concern and the governors’ response are included in the meeting minutes.

This is especially important if you later need to rely on these records at a tribunal or Independent Review Panel (IRP), should the governors decide to uphold the Head Teacher’s decision.

The Decision

The governing body will decide to:

uphold an exclusion; or
direct reinstatement of the pupil immediately or on a particular date.

Where reinstatement is not practical or you make clear you do not want your child reinstated, the governing body must still consider whether the head teacher’s decision to exclude your child was justified based on the evidence.

The governing body must notify you, the head teacher and the Local Authority the social worker and virtual school head (if relevant) of its decision, and the reasons for its decision, in writing and without delay.

In the case of a suspension, there is a no right of appeal to the independent review panel for this type of exclusion. If you disagree with the governors decision you may want to seek further legal advice to challenge the decision through a disability discrimination appeal. The National Autistic Society provide guidance on How do I appeal my child's exclusion to the First-tier Tribunal (SEND)?

In the case of a permanent exclusion, the governing body’s notification must also include the following information:

the fact that it is permanent;
your right to ask for the decision to be reviewed by an Independent Review Panel