The guidance published by the DfES also says that pupils can be expelled for a first offence of carrying weapons. Excluded children would continue their education in a pupil referral unit where they would follow the national curriculum with a view to returning to mainstream education, but not at the same school.
The number of exclusions from primary schools has been steadily falling over the past few years, and the former education secretary, David Blunkett, dropped targets for reducing permanent exclusions in May 2001, saying he was satisfied with the drop then achieved.
There are currently 308 pupil referral units, and the target is to have 380 by September, when the Government has pledged that all excluded pupils will receive a full-time education.
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