# The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, Article 31: Suspension and expulsion of pupils


(1) The Department shall prepare and issue a scheme specifying the procedure to be followed in relation to the suspension and expulsion of registered pupils from grant-aided schools.
(2) A scheme under this Article–
(a) shall provide that–
(i) a registered pupil at a controlled school may be expelled from that school only by the relevant board on the application of the Board of Governors of the school;
(ii) a registered pupil at any other grant-aided school may be expelled from that school only by the Board of Governors of the school;
(b) shall provide that a registered pupil at a grant-aided school may be suspended from that school only by a person or body specified in the scheme;
(c) shall specify the maximum period–
(i) for which a pupil may be suspended in any one school year;
(ii) for which a pupil may be suspended on any one occasion;
(d) may provide for the extension of a period of suspension (subject to any provision made by virtue of sub-paragraph (c));
(e) may include provision for such other matters as the Department thinks appropriate.
(3) It is the duty of–
(a) the relevant board and the Board of Governors (in relation to a controlled school); and
(b) the Board of Governors (in relation to any other grant-aided school),
to comply with a scheme under this Article.
(4) The Department–
(a) shall review a scheme issued under this Article not later than five years after the issue of the scheme (or, as the case may be, after the last review under this paragraph); and
(b) may revise the scheme and issue the revised scheme.
(5) Before making or revising a scheme under this Article the Department shall consult–
(a) the boards;
(b) the Board of Governors of a number of grant-aided schools selected by the Department as being a representative sample of all such schools; and
(c) any other person with whom consultation appears to it to be desirable.
(6) In this Article and Article 32 “relevant board”, in relation to a controlled school, means the board for the area in which the school is situated.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2006/0110800419/article/31 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/draft-education-northern-ireland-order-2006/article-31
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.