Agenda item

The Chair welcomed Marc Kastner, Senior Inclusion Officer of Devon County Council, who informed the Board of current strategies, policies and practices in respect of the exclusion of school pupils in both primary and secondary schools. The report had been requested because of the high level of exclusions in Exeter and in one school in particular and, with reference to the County wide situation, he confirmed that high rates were to be found across the County and that, in some cases, were higher than the national average. Exclusions had significant impact on future educational and social aspirations for individual pupils.

The Education Inclusion Service comprised three Inclusion Officers with a fourth to shortly join the team. Behavioural and Attendance Panels met every other week in Exeter involving Assistant and Deputy Head Teachers and is being modelled on the early assessment process. A variety of organisations were also utilised in assessments including educational psychologists, education welfare and behaviour support specialists, youth offending teams etc.

He explained the different types of exclusion – permanent and fixed term -, the reasons behind them and the differing solutions provided.

Managed moves entailed a pupil being placed in an alternative school for six weeks, remaining there if the placement worked well. Alternatively, the child could return to the original school with other arrangements considered. Options would include staying within the mainstream, moving to a special school or to a School Company/Pupil Referral Unit. A new school could often benefit a pupil with a fresh start. There were three School Company’s in the County - at Barnstaple, North Devon, Sowton, Exeter and Dartington, with some pupils having to travel some distance to the allocated school, which was not ideal. The School Company’s offered alternative curricula and could exclude a pupil on a temporary basis but not permanently. Of those excluded last year to School Company’s, 67% remained. There are children moving to Elected Home Education whose parents state that their child is at risk of exclusion.

The Devon Youth Service also operated Chances in Newton Abbot, an alternative education provision for secondary age provision for pupils at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream school. Youngsters who attended remained on school rolls with staff working to resolve their problems.

Those missing education through sustained absence from the school roll are followed up through Devon County Council Missing Education Meeting held weekly and was a beacon of good practice nationally.

There were increasing concerns that the situation with regard to mental health was worsening. Pupils were able to access on line support out of school hours but those without broadband provision were disadvantaged. Assistance was also available from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) through the NHS and YoungMinds. Training on these issues for teachers was also being undertaken by Early Help 4 Mental Health.

He stated that there were concerns over the use by some schools of exclusion and the impact upon the child. Ofsted monitor the rate of exclusions. The philosophy and ethos differed from school to school, with individual schools possessing different thresholds in respect of exclusion. Tensions also existed within schools such as between pastoral and academic outlooks and possible lack of communication, with a growing demand for a greater emphasis on the academic element. The Academisation of schools was also a factor, as was a growing emphasis on side-lining activities such as arts and drama within the curriculum. The Government was seeking to accelerate the switch-over from local authority-controlled to Academy schools. The Government White Paper had called for schools to contribute financially to the education of those excluded.

A County Council Task Group on a Review of School Exclusions had been submitted to its Peoples Scrutiny Committee on 28 March looking at the exclusion process and prevention, reasons for exclusions, school and off-site provision, how funding was used to support students at risk of exclusion and the use of alternative providers and multi-agency engagements.

Councillor Hannan, as chair of the Task Group, explained the work of the Group. It had received evidence and gained insights from experts, predominantly those from the Council who were involved in the field and had made half day visits to four secondary schools, one Pupil Referral Unit and one alternative provider. The report also included the views and experiences of pupils and staff, as well as statistical data and evidence provided by County Officers.

He made the following additional points, commenting also that the inclusion officers were held in high regard in Devon schools:-

·         those receiving free school meals because of low “parental” income were significantly more likely to be excluded and was more evident in Devon than nationally;

·         those with special educational needs were significantly more likely to be excluded, both nationally and in Devon;

·         Children in Care in Devon were nearly eight times as likely as other children to receive temporary exclusions; and

·         boys were three times more likely than girls to be excluded.

The Task Group’s recommendations included examining the extent to which disadvantaged pupils and those with Special Educational Needs featured amongst those excluded; that all teaching and support staff were able to enhance their skills in relation to emotional and social education; that schools were provided training on how effective pastoral support systems could be developed and provided for all pupils; the legality and effectiveness of providing late and early school and the use of part-time timetables in schools; multi-agency partnerships with particular attention to pupils with mental health needs and how schools worked with the Child and Adult Mental Health Service and for the Council to investigate the impact of Elective Home Education on pupils in Devon.

The Board thanked Marc Kastner for his presentation and noted that the recommendations of the working group would be monitored by the County Council.