Plan to fine Devon schools £21k for each exclusion

A council is planning to fine schools £21,000 for each child that is excluded.

Conservative-run Devon County Council believes it could raise more than £5m a year as part of its plan to deal with a massive overspend in education.

According to a council report, the scheme was designed to "incentivise schools with high exclusion rates to explore every possible avenue to keep children and young people in school".

Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Connett said schools needed a "final sanction" without the threat of a financial penalty. The council has been approached for a comment.

The county council is predicting 247 children will be excluded in the 2024-25 academic year.

If that occurred and the levy was introduced, fines could total just under £5.2m.

Connett said: "Head teachers need to be able to have a final sanction for children who are permanently disruptive.

"Fining schools £21,000 for excluding a child is not helping the school and is not helping the child.

"It's another example of the chaos that's currently going on at Devon County Council regarding all things to do with children."

The council has got into increasing financial problems in children's services and had racked up a debt of £163m.

That was supposed to be dealt with by a government bailout of £95m agreed in March but it emerged in November the council had already overspent by £15m.

The plans are part of a consultation on schools funding which is due to end on Tuesday.

Devon County Council has not yet responded to criticism of the plans.