5th Report - Forgotten children: alternative provision and the scandal of ever increasing exclusions

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's inquiry and sets out a programme of reform, agreeing with some recommendations, declining others, and deferring several pending the Timpson exclusions review.

• On Independent Review Panels, the government "does not intend to implement the Committee's proposal" that they be able to direct reinstatement, saying it intends instead to support schools to manage poor behaviour and intervene early.
• On a senior local authority post for pupils in alternative provision, it is "concerned" that requiring this "at this time" would impose additional burdens, and it will "consider carefully" the effect on local authority structure and resourcing.
• On unregistered provision, it intends to change legislation "when parliamentary time allows" so that settings children attend full time during the school day have to register, and says it will "consult in due course" on detailed proposals.
• On renaming pupil referral units, it says primary legislation would need amending and that "at this time" it will not pursue this, but will "consider it" as part of long-term reform.

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