School Exclusions - Latest Case Law, Guidance & Practical Strategies

Introduction

School exclusions in England have been subject to significant legal and policy developments over the past two years, making it increasingly important for practitioners advising families, children and schools to understand the latest position. Recent Court of Appeal decisions, new first-instance authorities and updated Department for Education guidance have all added to the legal and procedural framework governing suspension and permanent exclusion.

This new virtual classroom seminar will bring you fully up to date with the key developments, including R (TZA) v a Secondary School, R (RWU) v The Governing Body of A Academy, R (SAG) v The Governing Body of Winchmore School, R (HVF) v Lift Schools and R (NBT) v Bepart Educational Trust, alongside the July 2026 update to the DfE statutory guidance on suspension and permanent exclusion.

You will explore how these developments affect the lawfulness, reasonableness and procedural fairness of exclusion decisions, with practical guidance on advising families and children who are excluded or at risk of exclusion, as well as schools responsible for making and defending exclusion decisions.

The session will also examine how to prepare and defend claims arising from school exclusions across the range of potential forums, drawing on the presenter's practical experience to help you identify the key issues, avoid procedural pitfalls and approach exclusion challenges with greater confidence.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

• The latest law, policy and case law governing school exclusion decisions in England, including key recent developments
• The available routes for challenging school exclusion decisions, including Independent Review Panels, judicial review and disability discrimination claims, with practical insight into recent developments
• The key practical considerations when deciding whether and how to challenge or defend an exclusion decision, including strategy, procedure and potential pitfalls

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.