“How do my placement school’s
policies, procedures and provision
support pupils at-risk of exclusion?”
Rationale – the national picture
• Inclusion (and exclusion) has come under increasing scrutiny recently,
particularly the profiles of students likely to be excluded (DCSF 2009;
Gazeley 2010; Gazeley et al. 2013).
• Exclusion must be a ‘last resort’ and the euphemistic ‘managed move’
must be considered (DCSF 2008, p.8)
• “Deprivation and Education” (DCSF 2009) presented the evidence on the
likelihood of exclusion for certain groups of students and on the effect of
deprivation. FSM = 3.5 times more likely to be excluded.
The most recent annual exclusion figures show:
• Boys are 3 times more likely to be excluded than girls
• SEN students are 8 times (with a statement) or 11 times (without a
statement) more likely to be excluded (DfE 2013).
• I am undertaking this research to provide a holistic picture of one school’s
attempts to reduce exclusion and investigate how effectively schools can
provide for the types of students mentioned in the papers cited above.
• I will attempt build on Gazeley et al. (2013) and Hatton (2013) to see if
these early findings are corroborated in my placement school’s
experience.
Rationale – the personal picture
• PGCE trainee who undertook the SEND strand
of the course.
• Worked at a special school for EBSD students.
• Experienced the attitudes
of excluded young people
once they had
permanently left
mainstream education.
• Personal history and
childhood.
School context
• A mixed, urban comprehensive school comprising
approximately 1700 students and 250 staff, with a
mixed socioeconomic intake and achievement above
the national average.
• The last Ofsted inspection (2013) rated the school as
‘Good’ with an ‘Outstanding’ for behaviour.
• The proportion of students who speak English as an
additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of students eligible for Pupil Premium
funding is in line with national averages.
• The number of students identified as SEND is above
national averages.
Literature Review by theme
• Holistic, person-centered approaches are often
effective in terms of supporting ‘at risk’ students to
avoid exclusion (Pityonak 2005; OCC 2012; OCC 2013;
Orsati et al 2013; Razer et al 2013).
• Classroom practice is important to the success of an
inclusive school – effective training for staff and a
culture of supporting students at risk of exclusion (Hill
and Brown 2013; Holloman and Yates 2013; Razer et al
2013; Scanlon and Barnes 2013).
Literature Review by theme
• Labelling students as difficult or challenging can have a
negative effect on behaviour of students and of staff
(Orsati 2013; Holloman and Yates 2013; Macleod
2013).
• The culture of the school as an inclusive environment
that consistently rewards good practice is vital to
successfully accommodating the most at-risk students
(Munn and Lloyd 2005; Bambara et al 2009; Flannery,
Sugai and Anderson 2009; OCC 2012; OCC 2013;
Gazeley et al 2013; Cefai et al 2013; Hatton 2013; Razer
et al 2013; Tew and Park 2013).
Literature Review by theme
• Rewarding expected behaviour and
improvement in behaviour is an effective way
of maintaining positive behaviour change in
young people (Chafouleas 2006; Cefai et al
2013; Hatton 2013).
• It can be difficult to engage older students and
secure their ‘buy-in’ (Flannery,
Sugai and Anderson 2009).
(Pavlov, n.d.)
(Maslow, n.d.)
(Deci 1996)
Literature Review by theme
• Withdrawal groups can form an effective part of inschool provision but only if they do not work as a
detriment to overall progress and learning in the
mainstream curriculum (Gazeley 2010; OCC 2012; OCC
2013).
• Communication with parents should be a key part of a
successful inclusion system but it has been
acknowledged that securing the support of some
parents or having parents who are themselves unable
to negotiate the school communications systems can
be a barrier to success (Munn and Lloyd 2005; Gazeley
2010 and 2012; OCC 2013; McIntosh et al 2014).
Research Questions
1) How does the school identify a pupil who is
potentially at risk of exclusion?
2) What support (in terms of policies,
procedures and provision) does the school offer
these students?
3) What would be considered a successful
outcome for these students?
4) How successful is this support?
My researcher philosophy and
approach
• Epistemology is ‘…the study of how we know
things’ (Bernard 2000, p8).
• A choice between the positivist view where the
‘world exists independently of our lives’ and a
social-constructivist view which argues that ‘all
experience is historically and socially contingent’
(Briggs et al, 2012, p107; Langdridge and HaggerJohnson 2009, p365).
• I retained the social-constructivist philosophy I
have broadly accepted prior to this project.
• As a result of this philosophy, it was essential to
use a research design that enabled a deep
exploration of this topic from a range of angles.
Methodology
• I decided that my research questions called for an
exploratory Case Study, using a ‘mixed methods’ approach
to data collection – interviews, school policy documents
and exclusion figures. (Wilson 2009, p60).
• This ‘dual approach’ would allow me to avoid a ‘naive
empiricism’ (Briggs et al 2012, p25).
• Due to my position as a PGCE student I also held the
position of ‘insider-researcher’ and, as a result, felt that it
would be possible for me to take an ethnographic stance
during my data collection (Wilson 2009, p63).
• A research journal helped me to track the case study and
record ‘rich’ data as it arose (Westbrook et al. 2010; Wilson
2009, p72).
• I worked with a group of 3 critical friends to devise ideas,
pilot research instruments and discuss the research process
(Basit 2010).
Methods & Methods of Data-Analysis
• Documentary analysis to identify prior exclusions data
up to April 2014.
• Analysis of school policy documents.
• 3 semi-structured purposive interviews (Cohen et al,
2011), selectively chosen due to the staff roles at the
school. Seen as a ‘conversation’ and statements are ‘in
reality, co-authored’(Kvale and Brinkmann 2009, p123;
Cohen et al, 2011, p427).
• Coding analysis of transcripts using a coding, metaphor
and thematic approach, followed by disconfirmation
analysis (Altrichter, Posch and Somekh 1995).
Statistical Findings:
Patterns of Exclusion
• Up to April 2014 there were 65 fixed term exclusions
and 0 permanent exclusions.
• 34 out of 1700 students were excluded at some point
in 2013-14.
• 26 of the 34 students were male, 27 were SEN and 27
were White British.
• 2 permanent exclusions in the 3 years prior to this
research – the national averages show that 0.07% of
the school population is permanently excluded each
year. 1 student out of 1700 is just below national
averages (Expected 1.19 students per annum for a
school of this size).
Findings
(interviews, documentary)
1) How does the school identify a pupil
who is potentially at risk of exclusion?
- Two main ways: through anecdotal evidence from
members of staff and from statistical indicators
including attendance and behaviour slips.
- The statistical indicators are published in a termly
report for SLT and inclusion staff to discuss and
identify any patterns.
Findings
(interviews, documentary)
2) What support (in terms of policies, procedures and
provision) does the school offer these
students?
- Students who have been identified are supported through
the on-site inclusion unit.
- This provision includes: skills and engagement groups;
reduced timetables; targeted withdrawal and report cards.
- Interventions last for 12 weeks in the first instance with the
option for a renewal.
- External provision is accessed but all three interviewees
identified funding as a stumbling block for this provision.
- Places on externally provided services are extremely
limited: only 9 spaces each year for the major services
provided.
Findings
(interviews, documentary)
3) What would be considered a successful
outcome for these students?
The on-site unit tries to engage students with school and
once this has been achieved a re-integration process
begins, where students are moved back into mainstream
lessons.
‘…we will settle for them coping and achieving well,
attending well…’ (Member of SLT)
‘A positive result would be to see a dip in the number of
behaviour incidents.’ (Member of the inclusion unit)
Findings
(interviews, documentary)
4) How successful is this support?
Staff are happy with the low number of permanent
exclusions, but recognise that not all students are
successfully being re-engaged within mainstream school
– they don’t fit the ‘mould’ (SLT).
‘…our exclusion figures, I’m more than happy with those.’
(Inclusion co-ordinator)
In response to being asked about the two permanent
exclusions in the past three years, SLT Member replied:
‘even one of those is debatable really.’
Further findings regarding success of support
On rewards: ‘the rewards system at the minute is poor.’ (SLT)
On staff attitudes to inclusion: ‘I think a lot of the teachers as a whole
probably aren’t behind what we do.’ (Member of the inclusion unit)
On communication with parents: The school tries to engage parents in
the process of inclusion wherever possible but some frustration exists
when parents do not reinforce what the school is trying to do.
On what the interviewees would change:
1. ‘Really top-notch vocational education’ (SLT)
2. ‘Develop our use of alternative provision’ (InCo)
3. Have teachers ‘work with it [inclusion] on a professional level’
(Member of Inclusion) – frustration at some staff not
committing to inclusion.
Discussion
• These findings are tentative and small scale but they position the
school as very aware of where their successes and areas for
development lie.
• The identification system is regularly reviewed and effectively used
to target support.
• On-site provision is excellent and provides tangible support for
students as and when they need it, contributing greatly to
preventing a higher rate of permanent exclusions (OCC 2012; OCC
2013; Gazeley et al, 2013).
• The sanctions system has been made consistent throughout the
school and will be refined over time, leading to a culture of
consistency and fairness (Munn and Lloyd 2005; Macleod 2013)
• The rewards system is something the school is beginning to look at
and consider more seriously (Chafouleas 2006; Cefai et al 2013;
Hatton 2013).
• The overall ethos of the school is one of inclusion but all three
interviewees acknowledged that there are some staff who do not
necessarily ‘buy-in’ to this philosophy (Razer et al 2013; Scanlon
and Barnes 2013).
Recommendations
1) Develop a positive reward system,
in collaboration with the students,
that provides a realistic way of rewarding positive
behaviours.
2) Continue to deliver excellent on-site provision and
refine the intervention programme.
3) Build links with other local schools to share best
practice and provision.
4) Invest time in training the whole staff in inclusive
practice to minimise the incidence of negative
behaviours in-class, as well as to create a positive
school culture built on praise rather than punishment.
Limitations
• The research took place in one school in one month so the findings
are limited in terms of scale.
• The 3 interviewees were selectively chosen because of their roles –
potential bias in favour of inclusion and the school? Use of
questionnaire or greater range of interviews to produce bigger
sample?
• No pupil or parent/guardian/carer voice – sample limitation?
• Observations with follow-up interviews would have enabled
comparison of teacher comments with practice, supporting greater
triangulation & reliability.
• Insider research - Power relationships in the research; trainee
interviewer; ‘prevailing power asymmetry’ (Kvale and Brinkmann
2009 ; p147).
Suggestions for further research
• A longitudinal study, tracing the success of
intervention programmes for students would
allow a clearer picture of the success of the
on-site provision, focusing on student and
teacher evaluations.
• Once a more thorough study of this school has
been completed, it would be interesting to
compare the provision and success of the
school with other local schools to establish if
there are any links or major differences, and
why.
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