Janet O'Keefe, Speech and Language Therapist

Statistics published by the Department for Education today show that pupils with statements are nine times more likes to be permanently excluded from school than those pupils without any SEN. Meanwhile, the number of pupils with statements of SEN receiving one or more fixed period exclusions is six times higher than for pupils with no SEN. The Statistical First Release (SFR) provides information about exclusions from schools and exclusion appeals in England during 2010/11. It reports national trends in the number of permanent and fixed-period exclusions together with information on the characteristics of excluded pupils such as age, gender, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, and special educational needs (SEN) as well as the reasons for exclusion. The key points from the latest release are: There were 5080 permanent exclusions from state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and all special schools in 2010/11. In 2010/11 there were 271,980 fixed-period exclusions from state-funded secondary schools, 37,790 fixed-period exclusions from state-funded primary schools and 14,340-fixed period exclusions from special schools. The average length of a fixed-period exclusion in state-funded secondary schools was 2.4 days, for state-funded primary schools the average length of a fixed-period exclusion was 2.1 days. The permanent exclusion rate for boys was approximately three times higher than that for girls. The fixed-period exclusion rate for boys was almost three times higher than that for girls. Pupils with SEN with statements are around nine times more likely to be permanently excluded than those pupils with no SEN. Children who are eligible for free school meals are nearly four times more likely to receive a permanent exclusion and around three times more likely to receive a fixed-period exclusion than children who are not eligible for free school meals. What are we to make of these statistics?

A mainstream school it would seem is, quite often, unable to cope with the high level of demands placed upon it by children with special educational needs and challenging behaviour and for these children, inclusion is the last thing they need. They need a specialised environment that can help them overcome difficulties of background or learning style or hidden disability so they have the same chance of a successful life as everyone else. Timely intervention is crucial for these children so that they can be identified and assisted long before things get to the stage of an exclusion being considered. When thinking specifically of children with statements, I wonder what percentage of these SEN children, or of children with SEN but without statements, were excluded for persistent disruptive behaviour compared to the other reasons above. A child displaying persistent disruptive behaviour almost certainly has underlying issues, whether BESD, ADHD, ASD etc, that prevents them from accessing the curriculum and hence makes them feel that school is a waste of time. A large percentage were also recipients of free school meals, which also indicates that poor children (with or without SEN) are hugely at risk of not getting the support they need in a mainstream school environment. Many may come from difficult family backgrounds and would be much more suited to a nurture group environment such as those set up by child psychologist Charlie Mead, if only they existed more widely.   See http://www.wordswell.co.uk/tapf-conference/october-charlie-mead.php

There is much interesting analysis that can be taken from these stats aside from the startling SEN figures, for example the comparatively high ratio of exclusions for traveller children (who may or may not have SEN). These would take far more time to ponder than I have available, but I hope someone does and lets me know.

First published by Tania Tirraoro on Special Needs Jungle where you will find links to all the stats

Ronnie Young has over 25 years of experience in designing and delivering training in the public, private and education sectors.   Ronnie has substantial experience as a senior manager in a London College of Further Education, and is a practising OFSTED inspector for mainstream primary and secondary schools and academies, the learning and skills sector, independent schools and initial teacher training.  Ronnie has experience of inspection and quality improvement overseas and knowledge of curricula and systems in USA, UAE and Malaysia. Ronnie will be leading a seminar on differentation in the classroom for pupils with autism. Ronnie says: “Children on the autistic spectrum can be the easiest of all to teach – provided the teacher works with their differences and does not try to force the child into being what they are not. This session looks at the main differences posed in the classroom by children on the spectrum and how they can be fully included. Topics under discussion include social interaction and communication, group work, positive uses of obsessions, appropriate tasks and projects and good practice in the role of the learning assistant. As a parent of a child on the autistic spectrum, I wish this conference had been around when he was diagnosed. It is so important for parents to understand why their children are different and how their strengths are often overlooked and to know that they are not alone. I am privileged to be able to work with such eminent presenters and hope my contribution will go some way to making a difference for children at school.” Book a seat at the conference.