Excluded pupils not being given alternative education

Under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 schools must provide suitable full-time education, off-site or in partnership with other schools, from day six of a pupil's exclusion. Previously the law had stated that an alternative was required from day 16.

But the Ofsted report, Day Six of Exclusion: The Extent and Quality of Provision for Pupils, revealed that eight of the 28 secondary schools and two of the three special schools visited by Ofsted failed to comply with the duty.

Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty's chief inspector, said: "It is essential that all schools are given the help they need to ensure their excluded pupils continue to receive their education. I hope that this report will help those responsible improve the quality of their provision."

The report calls for the government to do more to highlight good practice, while suggesting that local authorities should be better prepared to deal with pupils who have been excluded for more than six days.

It also states that Ofsted must incorporate the monitoring and evaluation of provision for permanently excluded pupils into its new inspection of safeguarding in local authorities.