Devon County Council is considering fining schools £21,000 for every pupil they exclude.

The proposals are part of ongoing discussions between the council and schools over the 2025/26 school funding arrangements.

However, some school leaders fear that they will be forced to keep unruly students in class leading to a less safe and more disruptive experience for other learners. They are also worried that the proposals will prevent students who need an alternative education setting from accessing the help they need and that they will then be left to fail in mainstream schools.

In its consultation documentation, Devon argues that the proposals are aimed at improving inclusion, an area the county council promised to focus on when it agreed a financial bailout for its special needs education budget earlier this year.

In March, the government agreed to give Devon County Council an additional £95 million ‘safety valve’ payment to reduce Devon’s £163 million deficit in special needs education. Under the agreement, Devon County Council promised to improve school inclusion and to reduce its education overspend. Devon hopes to reach a positive in-year balance on its dedicated schools grant account by the year 2026/27.

‘We want all young people in Devon to get the best education they can. That means keeping pupils in school as much as possible. Permanent exclusions should always be a measure of last resort after all alternatives have been explored,’ explained Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for schools. ‘We want to work with schools and the wider partnership to reduce the number of permanent exclusions,’ he added.

School exclusions in Devon are projected to rise to 247 pupils this academic year compared with 193 in 2023/24.

The suggested £21,000 charge for an exclusion would cover the costs of an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) and administration.

This is just a proposal at this stage and we’re inviting schools to let us know what they think. Nothing has been decided and won’t be until we’ve heard back from schools and considered their viewpoint,’ Mr Leadbetter stressed.

‘We are undertaking our regular annual budget consultation with schools which includes a proposal relating to tackling permanent exclusions,’ a Devon County Council spokesperson said. ‘At the moment, these are just proposals, and we are actively encouraging all Devon schools to respond to the consultation. Together with the Schools Forum, we will consider the results and feedback when the consultation has finished,’ the spokesperson added.