Suspension & Expulsion
Policy on Suspension and Expulsion. Loreto College St Stephen’s Green.
In the case of unacceptable behaviour where it is deemed to be in the best interests of the school community and /or the student involved, suspension and/ or expulsion are options available to the Principal and/ or the Board of Management.
The Board of Management and the Principal will be guided in these instances by their responsibilities to the whole school community and the principles of natural justice.
In the case of suspension the decision may be taken by the day to day management team of the school, i.e the Principal or in her absence the Deputy Principal. If, in the judgement of the Principal a student should be expelled, the Principal shall refer the matter to the Board of Management for decision.
Suspension
The Board of Management empowers the Principal or in her absence the Deputy Principal to suspend any student who is in serious breach of the school’s code of behaviour or for any behaviour deemed by the school management as serious misconduct e.g smoking on school premises, repeated bullying, insolence to school staff etc (these are some examples- this list is not exhaustive).
A decision by the Principal/ Deputy Principal to suspend a student will only be taken when the alleged incident has been investigated and the student has been given an opportunity to respond. In the event of the Principal’s decision to suspend a student the parents/ guardians will be informed by post and invited to come to the school for a meeting.
If suspension is to be immediate (the circumstances of which will be the decision of the school management) parents/ guardians may be informed by phone, with written follow up.
Suspension will take place up to and including a period of 5 days.
In the case of suspension an appeal may be made to the Board of Management in writing. In this instance the suspension will not be carried out until the appeal has been processed. (It is possible that a suspension may already have been served before the appeal is actually heard. If the appeal is successful, the only remedy may then be to have the suspension removed from the student’s record).
Procedures for the formal re-introduction of the student to the school
- Parents/ Guardians may be requested to attend a meeting with the student and the management team of the school.
- An undertaking of good behaviour may be requested in writing.
- Agreed conditions may be requested, set down in writing and signed by the student and parent/guardian.
Expulsion
Expulsion is the ultimate sanction imposed by the school and is only employed in extreme cases of indiscipline, gross misconduct or repeated breaches of the Code of Behaviour.
A decision by the Principal to recommend to the Board of Management the expulsion of a student will occur only when such is the serious nature of an incident or incidents, or occasion(s) of misconduct that the Principal deems that the only course available to her is a recommendation to the Board of Management for the expulsion of the student.
A decision by the Principal to recommend to the Board of Management the expulsion of a student will only occur when the following procedures have been carried out:
- The school management are satisfied that all other sanctions have been exhausted, and/ or all other solutions deemed reasonable by the Principal have been explored and found unsatisfactory.
- When the parents/guardians have been informed of the Principal’s intention to recommend expulsion.
- When the parents/guardians are provided with a full written description of the allegation(s) against the student and the case being made to the Board of Management.
A decision made by the Board of Management to expel a student may be appealed under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
Appeals Procedure
Under Section 28 of the Education Act, 1998:
- the parent of a student or, in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal to the Board of Management against a decision of a teacher or other member of staff of a school,
- grievances of students, or their parent(s), relating to the students’ school (other than those which may be dealt with under paragraph (a)) or Section 29, shall be heard,
- appropriate remedial action shall, where necessary, be taken as a consequence of an appeal or in response to a grievance.
Under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, there are three contingencies in which the student (over 18) or the parent may appeal to the Secretary General of the DES, as follows:
- where the Board permanently excludes a student from the school,
- where a student is suspended for a period of 20 days or more in one school year,
- where the school refuses to enrol a student.
Such an appeal may only be made following the conclusion of any appeal procedures provided by the school in accordance with Section 28.