Revised information was published on absence in schools in England for 2003-04.
Source: Pupil Absence in Schools in England: 2003/2004 (Revised), Statistical First Release 49/2004, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
A research review examined the relationship between how children were treated at home and how they fared at school. Maltreated children were at greater risk of poor academic performance. The relationship between maltreatment and an increased risk of behavioural problems, aggression and even crime was also widely demonstrated in the literature.
Source: Chris Mills, Problems at Home, Problems at School: The effects of maltreatment in the home on children s functioning at school - An overview of recent research, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2500)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2004-Dec
A study examined best practice in the reintegration of different pupil groups into the mainstream school setting. Over 90 per cent of local education authorities had formalized approaches for the reintegration of permanently excluded pupils, pupils with medical needs and children in local authority care. The conclusions of the study stressed the range and potential complexity of the needs of reintegrating pupils, and the importance of flexible and individually tailored responses to meet their needs. Effective reintegration depended on establishing an environment where a culture of inclusion, commitment to serving the needs of all pupils, and availability of appropriate resources (both financial and staff expertise), were in place.
Source: GHK Consulting, Holden McAllister Partnership and IPSOS Public Affairs, The Reintegration of Children Absent, Excluded or Missing from School, Research Report 598, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
The government announced a package of measures to improve pupil behaviour. They included proposals to limit the number of previously excluded children that schools would have to admit, improvements to the way allegations of misconduct against teachers were investigated, and new powers for headteachers to tackle the carrying of knives in schools. It also published a 'statement of expectations' for pupil behaviour.
Source: Press release 18 November 2004, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: DfES press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
In 2002-03 there were 9,290 permanent exclusions of pupils in maintained schools in England, a decrease of 3 per cent on the previous school year and a decrease of 24 per cent from 1997-98.
Source: Permanent Exclusions from Maintained Schools in England 2002/2003, Statistical First Release 42/2004, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR (pdf)
Date: 2004-Nov
Researchers sought to establish the extent and impact of homophobic bullying on pupils.
Source: Ian Warwick, Elaine Chase and Peter Aggleton, with Sue Sanders, Homophobia, Sexual Orientation and Schools: A review and implications for action, Research Report 594, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Nov
A report contradicted the widespread view that student achievement was always higher in smaller schools, and student behaviour always worse in larger schools.
Source: Zoe Garrett, Mark Newman and Diana Elbourne, Secondary School Size: A systematic review, Institute of Education/University of London (020 7612 6050)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | IOE press release
Date: 2004-Oct
Researchers examined the conditions under which parenting programmes were most effective in improving attendance and behaviour in school, and sought to identify good practice.
Source: Susan Hallam, Lynne Rogers and Jacquelene Shaw, Improving Children s Behaviour and Attendance through the Use of Parenting Programmes: An examination of good practice, Research Report 585, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
Absenteeism in schools in England showed an overall decrease of 0.26 percentage points between 2002-03 and 2003-04. Authorized absences fell by 0.29 percentage points: but unauthorized absences increased marginally, by 0.03 percentage points to 0.73 per cent. Almost half of all absences from secondary schools were accounted for by around 2 per cent of pupils.
Source: Pupil Absence in Schools in England: 2003/2004 (Provisional), Statistical First Release 33/2004, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR (pdf) | DfES press release | NASUWT press release | SHA press release | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
Researchers reported favourably on the experiences of 12 local education authorities which implemented the 'fast track to prosecution' framework. (The framework sought to ensure a faster approach to tackling school non-attendance: in appropriate cases, parents were given 12 weeks to ensure that their child regularly attended school, or face prosecution.)
Source: Karen Halsey, Nicola Bedford, Mary Atkinson, Richard White and Kay Kinder, Evaluation of Fast Track to Prosecution for School Non-Attendance, Research Report 567, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
A report evaluated a project which placed full-time (social work trained) home-school support workers in secondary schools to support pupils at risk of exclusion. Staff working closely with caseload pupils reported that the support workers considerably reduced the numbers of fixed-term exclusions.
Source: Rosemary Webb and Graham Vulliamy, A Multi-Agency Approach to Reducing Disaffection and Exclusions from School, Research Report 568, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Aug
A survey found that most professionals involved in delivery and management endorsed the requirement for all pupils excluded from school for more than 15 consecutive days to be offered full-time provision, and considered it beneficial for most pupils. But some major concerns remained. Schools were not well equipped to offer that kind of provision.
Source: Mary Atkinson, Annie Johnson, Anne Wilkin and Kay Kinder, Good Practice in the Provision of Full-time Education for Excluded Pupils (Final Report), National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Jul
The government launched a national 'Anti-Bullying Alliance'. Over 50 expert organisations would act as a national agency to work with teachers, schools and local education authorities to promote anti-bullying best practice across all schools, including the use of peer mentoring schemes.
Source: Press release 15 July 2004, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: DfES press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jul
There were 9,290 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and all special schools in England in 2002-03, a decrease of 3 per cent from 9,535 in 2001-02, and a decrease of 24 per cent since 1997-98.
Source: Permanent Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals, England 2002/03 (Provisional), Statistical First Release 16/2004, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR (pdf) | DfES press release | YJB press release
Date: 2004-May
A report examined the government requirement that all pupils excluded from school for more than 15 consecutive days should receive full-time and appropriate education. Most of the 60 local education authorities questioned were usually able to meet the requirement: but a minority felt they were struggling to do so.
Source: Mary Atkinson, Annie Johnson, Anne Wilkin, Fiona Johnson and Kay Kinder, Good Practice in the Provision of Full-time Education for Excluded Pupils: Interim report, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: Summary | NFER press release
Date: 2004-Feb
The government issued regulations and associated guidance on parenting orders and contracts for criminal or anti-social behaviour, and in relation to school truancy and exclusions. The measures applied in England and Wales from 27 February 2004. Teachers expressed concern over powers to issue on-the-spot fines to parents of truanting children.
Source: The Magistrates' Courts (Parenting Orders) Rules 2004, Statutory Instrument 2004/247, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Parenting Orders and Contracts for Criminal or Anti-social Behaviour, Home Office (0870 000 1585), Department for Constitutional Affairs, and Youth Justice Board for England and Wales | Guidance on Education-Related Parenting Contracts, Parenting Orders and Penalty Notices, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260) | Press release 27 February 2004, Association of Teachers and Lecturers (020 7930 6441)
Links: Statutory Instrument | Home Office guidance (pdf) | DfES guidance (pdf) | DfES press release | ATL press release | NASUWT press release | NFPI press release | Guardian report | Observer feature
Date: 2004-Feb
The Prime Minister said (in a newspaper interview) that said he wanted headteachers to employ private companies to carry out random drugs tests on pupils. Campaigners condemned the plans, saying that they risked driving drug use further underground, increasing truancies and exclusions, and causing a breakdown in trust between pupils and schools. Teachers attacked the plans as 'draconian'.
Source: News of the World, 22 February 2004 | Press release 22 February 2004, DrugScope (020 7928 1211) | Press release 23 February 2004, Association of Teachers and Lecturers (020 7930 6441)
Links: Downing Street press briefing | Drugscope press release | ATL press release | NAHT press release | NASUWT press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
A report examined the effects and effectiveness of the prosecution of parents in relation to non-attendance at school. Significant variability was found between local education authorities, including the criteria on which prosecution decisions were made, the mechanics and processes by which prosecutions were brought, and the nature of offences pursued. The most common positive impact of prosecution was that parents were made aware of their responsibilities and the importance of school attendance.
Source: Sally Kendall, Richard White and Kay Kinder, School Attendance and the Prosecution of Parents: Effects and effectiveness Final report, National Foundation for Educational Research (01753 747281)
Links: NFER press release
Date: 2004-Feb
A briefing paper urged schools to ensure that bullying of young lesbian and bisexual women was covered in anti-bullying policies, and to enforce a 'zero tolerance' attitude to such behaviour among teachers and pupils.
Source: Pride not Prejudice: Young lesbian and bisexual women, Young Women s Christian Association (01865 304215)
Links: YWCA press release
Date: 2004-Feb
