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School Support

Your child is being kept out of school

Plain-language school guidance, the record to keep, and the next step available to your family.

Direct answer

When a school keeps your child out, that may be an "exclusion." This includes refusing entry, sending them home early, or asking you to keep them home. The Education Act (s. 265(1)(m)) lets a principal refuse to admit someone they judge harmful to other pupils' well-being. That decision is "subject to an appeal to the board." An exclusion is not a suspension. Suspensions have their own process and appeal rules. Ask for the decision, reasons, and return plan in writing. Informal "keep them home for now" arrangements are still time out of school.

Ontario Education Act — Special Education Requirements (IPRC, IEP) · Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19 · Policy on Accessible Education for Students with Disabilities · Special Report: Special Education Needs · Verified 2026-07-04

  1. 1Understand what's happening
  2. 2Document it
  3. 3Send the letter

What this means

When a school keeps your child out, that may be an "exclusion." This includes refusing entry, sending them home early, or asking you to keep them home. The Education Act (s. 265(1)(m)) lets a principal refuse to admit someone they judge harmful to other pupils' well-being. That decision is "subject to an appeal to the board." An exclusion is not a suspension. Suspensions have their own process and appeal rules. Ask for the decision, reasons, and return plan in writing. Informal "keep them home for now" arrangements are still time out of school.

What to do next

  1. Get the decision in writing

    Ask the school to confirm in writing what the decision is, under what authority (exclusion? suspension? something informal?), and why.

  2. Start counting days

    Record every full or partial day your child is out of school, starting today. Dates are the strongest evidence in exclusion situations.

  3. Ask for the return plan

    Request the specific conditions for return, who is responsible for each step, and the date the school expects your child back full-time.

  4. Ask for the board policy and appeal route

    The Act says an exclusion is subject to an appeal to the board but sets no process — ask the board, in writing, for its exclusion policy and how to appeal. If they will not answer, write to the superintendent or board office and ask how your child will keep learning while out.

  5. Send the exclusion letter

    The generated letter below asks all of these questions at once and puts the school on written notice.

What to ask, say it or paste it
I need to understand exactly what is happening. Is my child being excluded under section 265(1)(m) of the Education Act, suspended, or is this an informal arrangement? Can you put the decision, the reasons, the expected duration, and the plan for returning to full-time school in writing? What is the board's process for appealing this decision? How will my child receive education while out of school? Please reply in writing.

What to record

  • Every day (and partial day) your child is out of school, with dates
  • Who told you to keep your child home, when, and in what words
  • The written exclusion or suspension notice, if any was given
  • Work or schooling offered (or not offered) while your child is out
  • Each written request you send and the date of any response
Start your incident log

If it doesn't resolve

Start with the principal in writing; escalate fast — days out of school accumulate.

See the full escalation ladder

What not to rely on

"It's not an exclusion, we're just asking you to pick them up early."
Repeated early pickups and "voluntary" stay-homes reduce your child's schooling either way. Record them all and ask the school to state, in writing, what the arrangement is and under what authority.
"There's nothing to appeal."
The Education Act says a refusal to admit under s. 265(1)(m) is "subject to an appeal to the board." The Act doesn't set out the process — the board must tell you its procedure.
"We'll sort it out when things calm down."
Verbal reassurances have no date and no owner. Ask for the return plan in writing, with dates.

Go deeper

Common questions

No. A suspension follows Part XIII of the Education Act. It has a formal notice and a set appeal process. An exclusion under s. 265(1)(m) is different. It is a principal refusing to admit someone they judge harmful to other pupils' well-being. The Act says it is "subject to an appeal to the board," but does not set the steps. Ask the board for its policy.

The Education Act states the principal's decision under s. 265(1)(m) is "subject to an appeal to the board." Because the Act sets no procedure or deadline for that appeal, ask your board in writing for its exclusion policy and its appeal steps. Community legal clinics and ARCH Disability Law Centre can help.

The school may believe that, but your child still has a right to equal treatment in education under the Human Rights Code, and the board has a duty to accommodate disability to the point of undue hardship. Ask, in writing, what accommodations were tried before exclusion and what supports would allow a safe return.

Ask, in writing, how your child will receive education while out of school. Put the question and the school's answer in your records — a long exclusion with no educational provision is a serious gap worth documenting.

Legal authority for this page

Legal authority for this page
DateRecordPublisherSource type
2024-01-01Ontario Education Act — Special Education Requirements (IPRC, IEP)Government of OntarioGovernment source
1990-01-01Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19e-LawsGovernment source
2018-03-01Policy on Accessible Education for Students with DisabilitiesOntario Human Rights CommissionGovernment source
2026-05-12Special Report: Special Education NeedsGovernment of OntarioGovernment source

Last updated: 2026-07-04