Leadership

Alternative Provision And The Scandal Of Ever Increasing Exclusions

This report by The Education Committee examines the reasons behind an increase in exclusions in mainstream schools and looks at how to overcome the obstacles and problems encountered by parents and children in the process of exclusion and referral. It also sets out the issues and challenges faced by alternative provision providers and what good practice looks like.

Alternative provision is too often seen as a forgotten part of the education system, side-lined and stigmatised as somewhere only the very worst behaved pupils go. All pupils deserve high quality education, and while this is often the case, too many pupils are failed by the system and they are not receiving the education that they deserve.

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      string(356) "Student exclusions are predominantly affecting children in poverty and with special needs. The Alternative Provision options are not sufficient and are creating a new generation of young people who are not in schooling or employment. Labour MP Thelma Walker discusses the implications of a new report on these forgotten children."
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      string(472) "... 2016. London, 2017. Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) (2017). Making the difference: Breaking the link between school exclusion and social exclusion. London.  DfE (2013).  Alternative provision.House of Commons Education Select Committee (HCESC) (2018). Forgotten children: Alternative provision and the scandal of ever-increasing exclusions. London, House of Commons ..."
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      string(5614) "can sometimes literally be lifesavers for children, and provide them with a level of tailored nurturing that may be sadly lacking in other areas of life. Their disappearance from the curriculum – and from children’s lives – will come at an unquantifiable cost to society. One high school in my constituency runs a dry stone walling project for young people with behavioural issues. Not only is this a calming physical activity, it is helping to preserve a traditional community skill which is in danger of dying out. How much better and more enriching than an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach. ConclusionsThe scope of the Forgotten Children report was far wider than the issues I have discussed here. Every single data point, anecdote and piece of evidence we considered would be valuable to consider alone. The above issues are of particular interest because – if taken and funded seriously – they sketch out a policy roadmap to revolutionising the system of alternative provision. As our report concludes, ‘AP is diverse and it would not be appropriate to set a one-size-fits-all template for what good alternative provision looks like’.26 By definition, those accessing AP are complex and difficult cases and centralised diktats about how they should be dealt with would be counter-productive. However, it is very possible to look at broader policies which would create an environment in which good AP can flourish. Provision like the creative, nurturing, outdoor, active sessions I have witnessed in my own constituency and heard about as part of this inquiry should not be considered as a tacked-on extra in areas where volunteers or a particularly dedicated teacher will provide it. It should be an essential part of the curriculum, as such activities enrich the lives and potential of every child, while providing a potential way to reach some of our most complex young people. Children with SEND should be considered not as a difficulty, but as an opportunity. With the exception of mental health issues – which should be dealt with speedily and effectively – many conditions these children live with are lifelong. Children with SEND become adults who live in our communities. Designing provision to not only meet their needs, but which considers their uniqueness and skills as an asset, will benefit everyone in the short and long term. The case of NEET young people demonstrates effectively why education is deeply political, but also why education policy cannot be considered in isolation. Tackling the issues which face young children who are NEET or at risk of becoming so is to tackle some of our most deep-rooted social problems – health, worklessness, the justice system, poor economic recovery and countless others. Alternative provision done well gives us the opportunity to break the cycles of abuse, poverty, imprisonment and poor education for those who need it most. It is early intervention not just for the individuals concerned, but for their families, their communities and our country. The title of our report in full is Forgotten Children: Alternative Provision and the Scandal of Ever Increasing Exclusions. This narrative is one which shames us as a society and comes at a very real human cost. I am proud and filled with hope to be part of a Labour party which is not afraid to think radically about how we change forever the direction of alternative provision, and the inequalities which plague and underpin it – ‘not just to be a voice for the voiceless, but to give them a voice of their own’.27 Thelma Walker is the Labour MP for Colne Valley.NotesDepartment for Education (DfE).  (2013). Alternative provision: Statutory guidance for local authorities. London, p. 3. DfE (2013).  Alternative provision.DfE (2017).  Permanent and fixed-period exclusions in England: 2015–2016. London, 2017. Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) (2017). Making the difference: Breaking the link between school exclusion and social exclusion. London.  DfE (2013).  Alternative provision.House of Commons Education Select Committee (HCESC) (2018). Forgotten children: Alternative provision and the scandal of ever-increasing exclusions. London, House of Commons, p. 16. HCESC (2018). Forgotten children.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p. 17. IPPR (2017). Making the difference.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p.  38.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p.  43.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p.  21.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p. 16.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p.  22.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p. 16.Cleave, C. (2016). Everyone brave is forgiven. London: Sceptre, p. 122.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p.  25.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p. 11.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p. 16.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p.  25.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p. 18.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p.  24.Crompton, A. (2017). Alternative provision: Effective practice and post-16 transition: DfE research. Local Government Information Unit.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, pp. 13, 40.IPPR (2017). Making the difference, p. 25.HCESC (2018). Forgotten children, p. 25.Rayner, A. (2017). Speech to party conference."
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Behaviour

Forgotten Children – Creating Policy with Heart

4 Dec 2018

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      string(5549) "Leadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.BREAKING THE LINK BETWEEN SCHOOLEXCLUSION AND SOCIAL EXCLUSIONKeywordsSchoolexclusion, socialexclusion,link, mentalhealth, socialcare, excludedpupils, teachingprofession SummaryAs mental ill health in young people rises, and more children are subject to interactionwith social care services each year, more children are being educated in the alternativeprovision sector for excluded pupils. This IPPR report advocates that a programme shouldbe established which develops expertise in the teaching profession, connecting exceptionalteachers to schools for excluded children, and creates a community of leaders to driveincreasing inclusion throughout our education system.Excluded children are the most vulnerable: twice as likely to be in the care of the state, four timesmore likely to have grown up in poverty, seven times more likely to have a special educational needand 10 times more likely to suffer recognised mental health problems. Yet our education system isprofoundly ill-equipped to break a cycle of disadvantage for these young people.Key Findings: ■ This report reveals the cost to the state of failing our most vulnerable children at school ■ Every cohort of permanently excluded pupils will go on to cost the state an extra £2.1 billionin education, health, benefits and criminal justice costs. Yet more pupils are being excluded,year on year. ■ New analysis reveals that official data is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the full extent ofexclusion. ■ Despite only 6,685 reported permanent exclusions last year, 48,000 of the most vulnerablepupils were educated in the AP sector, which caters for excluded students. We reveal thatstill more pupils are not captured in any government data, yet are functionally excluded frommainstream school. ■ We identify key factors in rising exclusion rates ■ There are increasing numbers of children with complex needs – where mental ill health,unstable or unsafe family environments and learning needs combine. Yet a lack of workforcedevelopment in schools compounds the challenge students face. Half of school leaders saytheir teachers cannot recognise mental ill health, and three in four say they cannot refereffectively to external services. ■ As more pupils are excluded close to their exams, the capacity of the staff who work with excludedstudents is diminishing ■ New data analysis shows once a child is excluded, they are twice as likely to be taught byan unqualified teacher and twice as likely to have a supply teacher. Meanwhile, a leadershipWeek Commencing 16th October 2017https://ippr.org/files/2017-10/making-the-difference-report-october-2017.pdfhttps://ippr.org/files/2017-10/making-the-difference-report-october-2017.pdfLeadership BriefingLeadership Briefing – www.teachingtimes.comReports Summaries – a weeklyservice of essential summaries,in-depth reports and criticalanalysis that’s new and relevantto education, linked to originalsource documents.recruitment crisis in schools for excluded pupils has seen leader vacancies double between2011 and 2016. ■ Poor staffing can lead to dangerous environments in schools for excluded pupils, particularly in‘cold spot’ regions ■ A child excluded from school in the North East is around eight times more likely to attend analternative provision rated ‘Inadequate’ by Ofsted. In some local authorities with the highestlevels of exclusion, 100 percent of pupils are in settings graded ‘Inadequate’.IPPR is calling for a new programme to develop specialist school leadership: ■ Recruiting exceptional early career teachers with readership experience ■ Placing them in leadership positions in an ap school, and upskilling them through a two-yearbespoke programme of on-the-job training accredited at master’s level ■ Developing a route back to mainstream leadership, through a careers programme which matchesalumni ■ With senior leadership vacancies leading inclusion ■ Pioneering evidence-led practice by using its own programme and partnership with existingresearch organisations to develop and disseminate a better understanding of ‘what works’ tosupport vulnerable and disengaged young people.Recommendations: ■ A new programme should be established, which develops expertise in the profession, connectsexceptional teachers to schools for excluded children, and creates a community of leaders todrive increasing inclusion throughout our education system. ■ Leaders graduating from this new programme – The Difference – would be the catalyst for changethroughout the school system, working to break the link between school exclusion and socialexclusion.Four priorities for workforce development: ■ Improving preventative support for young people with complex needs in mainstream schools ■ Improving the commissioning and oversight of alternative provision (ap) for excluded pupils ■ Increasing and then maintaining the supply of exceptional teachers and leaders into ap ■ Developing an understanding of ‘what works’ in improving trajectories for excluded young people.WEB LINKMaking The Difference: Breaking The Link Between School Exclusion And Social Exclusionhttps://ippr.org/files/2017-10/making-the-difference-report-october-2017.pdf"
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Leadership

Breaking The Link Between School Exclusion And Social Exclusion

12 Oct 2017

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      string(5664) "whole-school approach to mental health, staff need to reflect on their practice and underlying attitudes. This can be a contentious issue and although many come to see that punitive approaches do not work, they are still very much in force in schools, if only subconsciously. This chart from James McTaggart (@JamesEdPsych) can help schools to reframe their thinking.Being a communicative schoolIf schools sign up to a policy where there are no detentions, where physical interventions are to be kept to a minimum, and fixed-term exclusions are used only as a last resort for a tiny minority of cases, they will need an alternative.  Increasing empathy in the classroom may be the solution to reducing school exclusions. If schools are going to make a difference to young people’s mental health, then everything is up for review: the language used, policies, behaviour management approaches and even the school day. Innovating Minds has worked with Young People’s Academy, where attendance was a key issue for the school. They found research that showed that Circadian rhythms are better in teenagers if they do not have too early a start, so now the school day starts later.Moving away from a punitive model of behaviour management towards a more therapeutic and empathetic one is an approach we, at Innovating Minds, have been promoting to educational professionals across the country. The work we do within the education sector has a strong evidence basis, as demonstrated by contemporary research from Stanford University, which reveals that school exclusion decreased by as much as 50 per cent when teachers adopted a more empathetic mindset towards their students’ behaviour.21By encouraging educators to reframe their perception of behaviour that is challenging through a compassionate lens, researchers found that pupils reported higher levels of respect for their teachers, which increased school connectedness, reduced disaffection and subsequent exclusions.22 Research shows clear links between ill mental health, student behaviour, school exclusions and projected life outcomes. Our experiences show that early psychological intervention in schools is imperative. Not only can it improve the emotional wellbeing of young people by reducing challenging behaviour and school exclusions, it may also provide school staff with a more constructive learning environment, increased job gratification and reduced burnout.Innovating Minds http://www.innovatingmindscic.com/ delivers bespoke therapeutic interventions, training and consultation to help individuals to access education, training and employment. Clinical Psychologists work from an early intervention approach within educational and community settings to create mentally healthy environments that have a sustainable impact.Dr Asha Patel studied psychology and criminology at Keele University before training as a Clinical Psychologist. She was the youngest on her doctorate course and worked in hospitals, prisons and secure mental health units before setting up her own award-winning community interest company Innovating Minds, which provides accessible psychological support to help young people with emotional and mental health problems in education, training or employment.Sal McKeown is a writer and freelance journalist focusing on disability, education and technology. A former teacher and lecturer in further education and for the Open University and Workers’ Educational Association, she is now a member of The Good Schools Guide’s special needs team and a judge for the Bett and Education Resources awards.NotesChildren’s Society (2008). The Good Childhood Inquiry: Health research evidence. London: Children’s Society.Association of School & College Leaders, & National Children’s Bureau (2016). Keeping young people in mind – Findings from a survey of schools across England. London: Association of School & College Leaders & National Children’s Bureau.Loeber, R., Farrington, D. P., Stouthamer-Loeber, M., & Van Kammen, W. B. (1998). Antisocial behaviour and mental health problems: Explanatory factors in childhood and adolescence. New York: Psychology Press, pp. 185-268.Unicef, The Body Shop International & The Secretariat for the United Nations Secretary-General (2006). Behind closed doors: The impact of domestic violence on children. New York: Unicef.McAndrew, S., Warne, T., Fallon, D., and Moran, P. (2011). Young, gifted and caring: A project narrative of young carers, their mental health, and getting them involved in education, research and practice. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 21(1): 12-19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21819510World Health Organization, (2018). Gaming Disorder. http://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/ Arseneault, L., Bowes, L., & Shakoor, S. (2010). Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: Much ado about nothing? Psychological Medicine, 40(5):717-729. Department for Education (2017). Supporting mental health in schools and colleges. London: Department for Education. Department of Health & Social Care and Department for Education, (2018). Government response to the consultation on transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: A green paper and next steps. London: Department of Health & Social Care and Department for Education.BBC School Report (2017). BBC School Report—11–16 year-olds mental health survey. London: COMRES.Dray, J., Bowman, J., Wolfenden, L., Campbell, E.,"
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Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Embracing Empathy

6 Feb 2019

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      string(5734) "Why is Alternative Provision important?There have been increasing concerns over the rise in school exclusions in recent years; between 2016 and 2017 it was reported that exclusions rose by 1,000 pupils. Those who suffer exclusions are predominantly made up of the most vulnerable in our society. The Timpson Review found that vulnerable groups of children are more likely to be excluded, with 78 per cent of permanent exclusions issued to children who had special educational needs (SEN), or who were classified as in need or eligible for free school meals. Yet, this inevitably only works towards making those children more vulnerable. Alternative provision (AP) ensures that these students aren’t cut off from access to education, and therefore prevents our most vulnerable young people from falling through society’s cracks. As Damian Hinds MP stated in response to the Review: ‘Exclusion should not be considered the end point for any child; it has to be the start of something new and positive – with alternative provision offering smaller class sizes and tailored support.’ This is why it is critical that AP is harnessed by schools in a positive and effective manner. AP also extends beyond catering for the needs of children who have been excluded; it can be incredibly effective for students who find the standard setting of a school or a classroom overwhelming or problematic for a variety of reasons. This could be to do with anxiety disorders that affect a student’s ability to function in a normal classroom, or an individual who has an ongoing medical issue that requires certain special provisions to be made, or it may be that a child refuses to attend school for any number of complex reasons. Ultimately, AP should be utilised to support students who require that extra support. As such, it is critical that a one-size-fits all approach is not adopted, given children who require AP depend on receiving a nuanced and personalised approach that they have not been able to obtain in a traditional school setting previously. AP should be there to assist these young people in achieving the very best in their education, and to help them attain the best start in life. Problems in implementationAP has become weighed down by a multitude of negative associations. This is of course partially to do with past failures to meet the standards of care these young people deserve and require. For too long schools have relied on delivering AP in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) with no provision for younger students or those with special educational needs. This has created a situation where children have been left feeling self-conscious and segregated at school, which serves only to isolate these young people further from the education system. After a concerted effort by those in the education sector, these failing systems are now being replaced by more effective solutions that allow for a more positive view of AP and its potential. AP is now being recognised as a useful and necessary service that can, in fact, be utilised to significantly improve the lives of students, with many schools across the country making concerted efforts to roll out an effective AP system that delivers the necessary tailored support that these children need. The recent Timpson Review is a positive step in the right direction, as it highlights 30 areas that need to be addressed by the government to prevent exclusions damaging the lives and academic achievement of students. The government has promised to act on these suggestions, including a provision to set out ‘plans later this year to improve outcomes for children who leave mainstream education and go into AP’ and to recognise ‘good practice in AP, including support for AP to attract and develop high-quality teachers.’  Understandably, given the lack of access to funding and resources, many schools have struggled with the financial burden of implementing an effective AP system. Funding is, of course, key to a school’s ability to provide sufficient and effective AP. As the Timpson Review quite rightly stated: ‘We expect school leaders to make sure all children are getting a good education, but we must equip them with the skills and capacity to do so.’ It is therefore vital that schools are given the necessary support to run a strong and supportive AP system. How should AP be implemented? It is of the utmost importance that AP is provided in a way that caters to the needs of each student, given that the needs of the students who require it are highly diverse. This means that if a student is suffering from mental health issues, has special educational needs or is suffering with problems at home, it is important that the necessary professionals are consulted with to ensure that the provisions offered will be able to engage the student in an effective manner. 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Special Needs

Why Your Alternative Provision Programme Needs Updating

20 Nov 2019