The enactment of school exclusion policy is a dynamic, complex, and multi-layered process, shaped by the interaction of national policy frameworks, local contextual factors, and the agency of different policy actors (Power and Taylor 2021; Tawell 2023). The theory of policy enactment focuses on how policies are interpreted, translated, negotiated, and contested by different policy actors (Ball et al. 2012; Johnson and Sullivan 2016). While research has examined the role of headteachers and teachers as key policy actors in the enactment of school policies, less attention has been paid to the influence of other policy actors who operate outside the formal boundaries of schools (Ball et al. 2012). This symposium seeks to address this gap by focusing on two less-explored groups in the enactment of school exclusion policy: local authority officers and parents. By bringing together scholars from England, Wales, Australia, and Switzerland, this symposium aims to deepen our understanding of these less-explored policy actors and their roles in the enactment of school exclusion policies.

Local authorities occupy a unique position in many education systems, acting as the middle tier between national governments and local schools. As policy outsiders (Ball et al. 2012), local authority officers are often called upon to help interpret and translate national education policies (Singh et al. 2013), including school exclusion policy (Ferguson and Webber 2015; Kulz 2015), and monitor compliance. However, the level of direct influence that local authorities have over practice in schools varies by place. Focusing on the unique positioning of local authority school exclusions officers in England, Paper 1 of this symposium will explore the ways in which the school exclusions officers shape and are shaped by school exclusion policy, and the systemic pressures they face in fulfilling their responsibilities.

Previously, parents have been framed as navigating the consequences of school exclusion policy rather than being actively involved in its enactment. However, their voices and actions can influence exclusion outcomes. Parents may serve as advocates for their children, challenge exclusion decisions through formal appeals, actively participate in reintegration meetings, and work with schools to secure support to meet their child’s needs. The agency of parents is particularly critical for pupils from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds, who are disproportionately affected by school exclusions, however, structural barriers including access to resources, information, and support, as well as parent-professional interactions have been found to affect parents’ ability to influence school exclusion decisions (Gazeley 2011). Papers 2 and 3 of this symposium will seek to illuminate parents’ experiences of school exclusion processes in Australia and Wales, their strategies for navigating these processes, and the structural constraints that shape their engagement.

Having set out the role of these less-explored policy actors in the enactment of school exclusion policies in England, Australia, and Wales, our discussant from Switzerland will then reflect on the findings and provide a European perspective. Together, through critical dialogue, we will voice concern over the systemic factors shaping the involvement of local authority officers and parents in the school exclusion process and argue for more equitable and inclusive practices that ensure all voices are equally heard and valued.

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