Do schools disclose suspensions

[Mumhouse1000]

My LO has been suspended in a state primary school in year 1. We’d like to apply to a private school for year 3 or 4 but worried they will ask for a reference and the existing school will disclose suspensions. Can they do that?

If we move to another state primary school will it ‘wipe’ his record?

The information has to be shared upon Admission as it's part of safeguarding - a school isn't allowed to lie - but they could legitimately refuse to provide a reference/the information until the child physically walks in the front door of a school for the first day.

A safeguarding record stays with a child throughout any number of schools.

What behaviour led to the suspension?

His pupil file will be transferred to any school he ever goes to. There is no hiding it. As above, it's important for safeguarding and consistency. How can a new school hit the ground running in supporting your child if they don't know his history and therefore his needs and how best to support him?

I understand why you're keen to hide this information, as his mother, but clearly something went very wrong in the past and your son is going to need quite a bit of support to help him settle elsewhere. It's in his best interests that they know.

Of course, if you wish to go private it is their prerogative to reject your application (I'm assuming this is what you are afraid of?). In that case, it wouldn't have been the right school for him. It's always best to be completely open and honest from the off with a new school, to build that positive relationship from the start. They will definitely find out about his educational past.

Where are you planning that he will be educated in Year 2?

You might not be aware but every child initially entering a state school from nursery upwards ( and some entering private education, though this is voluntary) is allocated a UPN, a unique pupil number, which stays with them until they leave full time secondary education. Private schools who take in a pupil who has a UPN from a state school are obliged to pass it on if the child leaves them. Unless you choose to home educate your child then their records will not be “wiped” and their school history can always be traced.

As others have said, for your child to have been suspended in Y1 there are clearly issues that need to be addressed. Not informing schools of your child’s problems is not going to help them through their education.

To add to that, the suspension will have been reported to both the local authority and the DfE, the latter in the Summer Census. As a result, each child - including your DS - will be searchable on the National Pupil Database and his UPN located. Then at 14 it'll be linked to his ULN in the Learning Records Service and his UCI (which is consistent for all public examinations and qualifications).

As such, not only will any schools have access to the information as part of normal safeguarding procedures, so does the DfE and Local Authority.

Records are kept until they are 25 as well

Do you think the suspension was justified?

There are not “normal safeguarding pricedures” for dc who are excluded. These procedures are only followed where a case is deemed to be a safeguarding issue and for most dc, a suspension has nothing to do with safeguarding. You can read a school safeguarding policy to check this out. Certain bodies are allowed to access school records. Another school is one who will receive the record but if you want an independent school, be honest about what has happened. Don’t expect them to work miracles but they might help.