Pupil suspension and exclusion codes

Pupil suspension and exclusion reasons - updated November 2024.

Not to be used for nursery schools.

Code

Description

Includes

BU

Bullying

  • Verbal, physical, cyber bullying or threatening behaviour online
  • racist bullying
  • sexual bullying
  • homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying
  • bullying related to disability

DA

Drug and alcohol related

  • possession of illegal drugs
  • inappropriate use of prescribed drugs
  • drug dealing
  • smoking
  • alcohol abuse
  • substance abuse

DB

Persistent or general disruptive behaviour

  • challenging behaviour
  • disobedience
  • persistent violation of school rules
  • raising of fire alarms falsely

DM

Damage to property

  • damage includes damage to school or personal property belonging to any member of the school community
  • vandalism
  • arson
  • graffiti

DS

Abuse relating to disability

  • derogatory statements or swearing about a disability
  • bullying related to disability
  • disability related graffiti
  • disability related taunting and harassment

LG

Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity

  • derogatory statements about sexual orientation (e.g. heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual) and gender identity (e.g. transgender)
  • homophobic, bi-phobic and transphobic bullying
  • LGBT+ graffiti
  • LGBT+ taunting and harassment
  • swearing that can be attributed to LGBT+ characteristics

MT

Inappropriate use of social media or online technology

  • sharing of inappropriate images (of adult or pupil)
  • cyber bullying or threatening behaviour online
  • organising or facilitating criminal behaviour using social media

OW

Use or threat of use of an offensive weapon or prohibited item

  • carrying or bringing onto the school site an offensive weapon / prohibited item such as knives, sharp instruments and BB guns,
  • carrying any article that has been or is likely to be used to commit an offence, cause personal injury or damage to property
  • use of an offensive weapon

PA

Physical assault against an adult

  • violent behaviour
  • wounding
  • obstruction and jostling

PH

Wilful and repeated transgression of protective measures in place to protect public health

Deliberate breaching of protective measures such as (but not limited to):

  • non-compliance with social distancing
  • causing distress such as through purposefully coughing very near to other pupils or adults
  • or any other deliberate breach of public health protective measures which the school has adopted.

PP

Physical assault against a pupil

  • fighting
  • violent behaviour
  • wounding
  • obstruction and jostling

RA

Racist abuse

  • racist taunting and harassment
  • derogatory racist statements
  • swearing that can be attributed to racist characteristics
  • racist bullying
  • racist graffiti

SM

Sexual misconduct

  • sexual abuse
  • sexual assault
  • sexual harassment
  • lewd behaviour
  • sexual bullying
  • sexual graffiti

TH

Theft

  • stealing school property
  • stealing personal property (pupil or adult)
  • stealing from local shops on a school outing
  • selling and dealing in stolen property

VA

Verbal abuse / threatening behaviour against an adult

  • threatened violence
  • aggressive behaviour
  • swearing
  • verbal intimidation

VP

Verbal abuse / threatening behaviour against a pupil

  • threatened violence
  • aggressive behaviour
  • swearing
  • verbal intimidation
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Last updated: 12 Nov 2024

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