Supporting the inclusion of excluded pupils Resource material for Multiverse Louise Gazeley

2 School exclusion processes Most pupils who are excluded from school are excluded for a short period, temporarily and on only one or two occasions in any school year Some pupils are excluded more frequently, placing them at increased risk of permanent exclusion These pupils often require additional support and attention to their learning needs. Alternative curriculum arrangements may be seen as an important preventative strategy

3 Alternatives to exclusion Alternative arrangements such as work/college placements are often used with pupils at Key Stage 4 who are considered to be ‘at risk’ of exclusion from school These are designed to reduce the possibility of future exclusions and to ensure that pupils continue to access education It may be difficult for pupils who attend school on a part time basis to keep up with school work, particularly if they have additional learning needs but receive no additional support It may be difficult to make connections and build links between the different types of educational provision that a pupil is engaging with

4 Attendance The attendance of pupils involved in school exclusion processes may be less regular than that of other pupils The effects of this are cumulative - there may be gaps in pupils’ learning that have developed over a period of years Pupils may feel alienated from school and have developed routines and lifestyles that do not include regular attendance at school Supportive relationships with pupils and teachers may not have developed It may be difficult to access school work, particularly if this is compounded by learning difficulties such as poor literacy skills There may be some reluctance to address absence or truancy if this avoids further conflict

5 Girls Girls are more likely than boys to have difficulties that are concealed or unidentified Truancy may be a strategy adopted by girls to avoid conflict Professionals may respond less sympathetically to girls who exhibit behavioural difficulties “She is a natural conflict person. Her only strategy is to duck it completely… Her knowledge has been limited by her absences and she is slipping further behind every year.” (Form Tutor, mainstream school)

6 Planning Pupils who are absent for long or frequent periods may need additional and proactive interventions to enable them to access the classroom situation Drawing on prior knowledge presents particular difficulties which can more easily be overlooked in a whole class situation Pupils in internal seclusion or excluded from school must be provided with work. Careful planning is needed if this work is to be accessible and engaging in the absence of the teacher

7 Information Know enough about pupils to be able to understand the problems they have but avoid allowing this information to influence your expectations of pupils Access information about the learning needs of pupils, including their Literacy level/ Reading Age as this is often a barrier to learning Know which pupils have an IEP/PSP/PEP and know what it says Ask other professionals for information about pupils if you have concerns and share your concerns with others if appropriate

8 Empathy Some pupils live in circumstances that make it more difficult to function at school. These factors can sometimes be overlooked. They include: - Neglect –Abuse –Domestic violence –Substance misuse –Mental illness –Unstable housing –Poverty –Living without a parent “And I think the question is, how much are staff aware of these issues in the mainstream because it’s very difficult when there are more than a thousand students, and the impact that must have on them, their lives… I think that’s the other issue, with being a large school, that the individual can be lost.” (Inclusion Co-ordinator, mainstream school)

9 Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) Pupils with an identified SEN are at greater risk of exclusion than pupils without Excluded pupils often have unidentified or unmet learning needs Types of SEN do not always fall into distinct categories It is important to ensure that the focus on pupils’ behavioural needs does not encourage learning needs to be overlooked Tasks need to be accessible and also provide opportunities for development

10 Teaching Assistants (TAs) Often have good relationships with pupils and a detailed understanding of their learning needs and of strategies that work with individual pupils Are able to be more effective if they are involved in planning and feedback Are empowered by teachers who are approachable and encourage a dialogue to develop Can be used to provide support at key points - for instance at the start of a task if this is likely to be a trigger for refusal to work

11 Teaching styles Pupils can be very successful with an individual teacher, even when unsuccessful in all other places Pupils can be very alienating in their behaviours. Try to depersonalise situations Be willing to clarify tasks as often as necessary Be aware of your own preconceptions and avoid being judgemental “ Some teachers ignore what the pupil is trying to tell them, whether they’re too busy or they’re doing something else, well they’re only human after all… He saw it as no one listens to me,and no one cares, and that sort of thing.” (Parent of an excluded pupil)

12 Some steps towards creating a ‘safe’ classroom environment… Provide consistent boundaries and clear expectations Actively develop pupils’ confidence and self esteem Behave in ways that are predictable and unthreatening Value communication with pupils Try to treat pupils fairly Try to minimise opportunities for conflict. Anticipate pupils’ likely responses and try to plan your next step in advance Think about what you say and how you say it

13 Peer and group work Developing strategies to integrate a pupil with others in the class may be useful Pupils enjoy active learning experiences Some pupils work supportively with each other Teachers may be less inclined to use more active approaches when teaching pupils whose behaviour is difficult to manage

14 Working with parents Parents can find interaction with professionals difficult Professionals may think that parents do not value education or that they are unsupportive However, parents’ own experiences of education may make it difficult for them to contribute to education in the home Parents are sensitive to professional assumptions “Where it is behaviour it can feel as if the parent is being called in to be told off. A lot of skill is required to make parents feel welcome. For instance: not being offered a cup of tea when others are; others all know each other; being given a small chair to sit on; the sort of language used. All a bit humiliating but not intentional.” (Professional working with the parents of excluded pupils)

15 Responsibility for excluded pupils… Other Classroom Providers? Teachers? Outside agencies? Parents/ Carers? Specialist Staff? Excluded pupils Teaching Assistants?

16 Professional values “There’s got to be commitment from every member of staff, you’ve got to have the right ethos, total ethos of inclusion. So having some kind of mission statement where you say, ‘We believe in inclusion,’ but half the staff think: ‘Ah, get rid of that, get rid of that one.’ You’ve got to have everybody on board.” (Professional working with excluded pupils in an alternative educational provider)