Parents of children at risk of exclusion have told Sky News that a school’s decision to ban the practice has changed their lives. Exclusions are at an all-time high, with one charity saying there is “something seriously wrong” with so many six-year-olds being excluded from school.
By Anjum Peerbacos and Josephine Franks, current affairs journalists
Sunday 21 July 2024 06:31, United Kingdom
Shelley Jackson’s son hasn’t finished elementary school yet, but until recently she feared he would be expelled from school before that happened.
Shelley received daily phone calls regarding her son’s behavior.
The phone calls were saying, ‘He was out of control, he wasn’t in class, he was in a tree.’
“His behaviour got worse and worse, and he tried to run away from school,” she told Sky News.
He appeared to be heading for permanent exclusion, which would have seen him “probably move from one school to another”.
If that had happened, he would have joined the tens of thousands of primary school children excluded each year.
School exclusions have reached a record high, according to government figures, with more than 85,000 primary school-aged children excluded or suspended last year. Of these, 27,500 were aged six or under.
While many schools take a zero-tolerance approach to behaviour and discipline, at Templewood Primary School in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, headteacher Katherine Martindill has taken the opposite approach.
Exclusions and suspensions are banned. They don’t work, Martindill tells Sky News: “Ultimately you’re telling kids they’re not valued. And then they go home.”
“We can’t teach them when they’re at home.”
By keeping them in school, the school can give children “the tools to manage their behavior,” she said.
“If we don’t help them, who will?”
Ms Martindill’s policy marked a turning point for Shelley’s son – and for other families who spoke to Sky News.
“His self-esteem had already taken a hit.”
Sarah Buxton’s son found school a ‘difficult’ place.
“He would seem quite angry, he would probably throw chairs and knock over tables.”
The second-year student was “pretty depressed already,” she told Sky News.
“His self-esteem had already taken a hit… What if he had been rejected from school too? I dread to think what that would have done to us, to him, to me.
“I just think it would have been extremely difficult.”
Fortunately, school policy meant this was not an option, and instead he and his family were supported.
“The centre and the support we received has changed our lives,” says Buxton.
From anger to irritation
Karlie Greenleaves and Barry Hopkins have seen a marked change in their third-grade son since the no-exclusion policy was implemented.
“He now enjoys school and is ready in the morning – for him it’s all about routine.
“Before, he was aggressive and didn’t know how to communicate.”
They say the difference comes from his ability to recognize how he feels loved.
Learn more:
Creation of a register of ‘ghost children’ who disappear from school
Report calls for ban on primary school exclusions
“Something is seriously wrong”
The overwhelming majority – 97% – of primary school-aged children who are excluded have special educational needs and disabilities, Sophie Schmal, from the children’s early intervention charity Chance UK, told Sky News.
“There is something seriously wrong” that so many six-year-olds are being suspended and excluded from the education system, she said.
“We can see how detrimental suspensions and exclusions can be to long-term outcomes for children.
“They are more likely to be suspended or expelled later in life. They are more likely to lose interest in education.”
Chance UK’s research into exclusions shows that over 90% of children are excluded from primary school fails GCSE in English and Maths.
Schools that exclude children need ‘more accountability’
Ms Martindill believes there needs to be “more accountability from schools that use exclusions”.
It is up to school leaders to decide their school’s policy on exclusions – but if they decide to remove them, they need funding to put in place other support measures.
“Children don’t succeed academically if they’re not happy,” she adds.
The government’s new plan to combat bad behaviour
Responding to the Department for Education’s figures on exclusions, Minister Stephen Morgan said they show “the massive scale of disruptive behaviour that has developed in schools”.
“We are determined to tackle the causes of bad behaviour: we have already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every secondary school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.
“But we know that bad behaviour can also be linked to wider issues, which is why the government is developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, led by a taskforce co-chaired by the Minister for Education, so we can remove barriers to equal opportunities.”
