A new book examined the 'racially punitive' culture of school exclusions – in particular the way in which exclusions worked against children of Afro-Caribbean backgrounds.
Source: Sandra Richards, The Way we See It, Trentham Books (01782 745567)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Dec
The children's rights watchdog in Wales highlighted the danger of unofficial school exclusions – cases where parents were asked to keep their children at home unofficially, without a fixed or permanent exclusion.
Source: Report Following Investigation into Unofficial School Exclusions, Children's Commissioner for Wales (01792 765600)
Links: Report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Oct
In maintained secondary schools in England the percentage of half days missed due to absence over the autumn term 2006 and spring term 2007 was 7.76, compared to 8.16 per cent in 2005-06.
Source: Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Autumn Term 2006 and Spring Term 2007, Statistical First Release 36/2007, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | LGA press release | NASUWT press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Oct
A survey found that 95 per cent of children aged 10-15 had been a victim of crime on at least one occasion. A majority of children had experienced bullying or assaults, with 46 per cent stating they had been called racist names, and 56 per cent threatened on at least one occasion. Nearly three-quarters of children in the survey had been assaulted. The majority of incidents occurred in schools and playgrounds.
Source: Children as Victims: Child-sized crimes in a child-sized world, Howard League for Penal Reform (020 7249 7373)
Links: HLPR press release | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Oct
Preliminary data showed that the rate of unauthorized absences in secondary schools in England rose to 1.61 per cent in spring term 2007, from 1.49 per cent a year earlier.
Source: Pupil Absence: Spring 2007 Term Report, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | ASCL press release | ParentsCentre press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Sep
The government published new guidance on decision-making in respect of school exclusions in England. Parents whose children were suspended from school because of bad behaviour could be required to keep them indoors or face fines of up to £1,000.
Source: Improving Behaviour and Attendance: Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Guidance | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Sep
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that 1 in 8 pupil referral units (short-stay centres for those taught outside regular school because of behavioural and other problems) were inadequate, but half were judged good or outstanding. Problems included inadequate accommodation, pupils of different ages with diverse needs arriving in an unplanned way, limited numbers of specialist staff, and difficulties in reintegrating pupils into mainstream schools.
Source: Pupil Referral Units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities, HMI 070019, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Sep
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that attendance rates in secondary schools had improved overall since 2002: but unauthorized absence had not shown the same levels of improvement. Strong leadership and management, high quality teaching, and a flexible curriculum had a significant impact on attendance.
Source: Attendance in Secondary Schools, HMI 070014, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Sep
The opposition Conservative Party said that it wanted to return to teachers the power to manage disruption in their classrooms. Parents would lose the right to appeal to local education authorities when their children were excluded from schools.
Source: Speech by David Cameron MP (Leader of Conservative Party), 31 July 2007
Links: Text of speech | Conservative Party press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jul
Researchers examined a pilot designed to encourage secondary schools to take a whole-school approach to developing social, emotional, and behavioural skills among staff and pupils, and to integrate it into their existing work. The pilot was well received by pilot schools and local authorities; and staff valued, and were committed to, the underlying principles of the pilot programme.
Source: Paula Smith, Lisa O?Donnell, Claire Easton and Peter Rudd, Secondary Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills (SEBS) Pilot Evaluation, Research Report RR003, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Date: 2007-Jul
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that the pilot programme in secondary schools for developing social, emotional and behavioural skills was introduced successfully when senior school leaders understood its underlying philosophy. Where this was not the case, it remained a 'bolt on' to personal, social, and health education (PSHE) lessons or form tutor time, and was largely ineffective.
Source: Developing Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills in Secondary Schools, HMI 070048, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (07002 637833)
Links: Report | OFSTED press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A think-tank report said that failure to tackle truancy was costing the economy £800 million a year. In addition, the exclusion of 10,000 pupils each year was costing another £650 million. Excluded children were three times more likely to leave school with no qualifications - thus reducing their earning potential.
Source: Martin Brookes, Emilie Goodall and Lucy Heady, Misspent Youth: The costs of truancy and exclusion, New Philanthropy Capital (0207 401 8080)
Links: Summary | NPC press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A survey of secondary schools found that almost two-thirds of lesbian and gay pupils (156,000 children) had been victims of homophobic bullying.
Source: The School Report: The experiences of young gay people in Britain's schools, Stonewall (020 7881 9440)
Links: Report | Stonewall press release | ATL press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jun
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on bullying. It said that it agreed with the MPs that pupils should be consulted about the sanctions for bullying.
Source: Bullying: Government Response to the Committee's Third Report, Third Special Report (Session 2006-07), HC 600, House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report | ABA press release | ASCL press release | TSN press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jun
Pupil exclusions dropped by nearly 3 per cent in all state primary, secondary and special schools between 2005 and 2006 - 25 per cent below the level in 1999. Conversely, the number of suspensions in secondary schools rose by 4 per cent in 2006.
Source: Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England 2005/06, Statistical First Release 21/2007, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DfES press release | ASCL press release | Conservative Party press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report examined the exclusion of black pupils from schools in England. It identified concerns about the way the education system treated black pupils and, in particular, the way that a succession of subjective judgements by school staff appeared to impact differently on black pupils. Black pupils were routinely punished more harshly, praised less, and told off more often than other pupils
Source: Getting It. Getting It Right., Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | DfES statement | NAHT press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Mar
New figures for truancy, collected termly rather than annually, showed that truancy in England's secondary schools was at least 18 per cent higher in 2005-06 than previously thought.
Source: Pupil Absence in Secondary Schools in England, 2005/06, Statistical First Release 11/2007, Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: SFR | DfES press release | PAT press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that more research was needed into finding more effective ways to reduce bullying in schools. There had been 'very little evidence' underpinning existing guidance - and the lack of accurate, reliable data was a barrier to more effective work.
Source: Bullying, Third Report (Session 2006-07), HC 85, House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | OCC press release | ABA press release | NUT press release | ATL press release | NAHT press release | ASCL press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Young People Now report
Date: 2007-Mar
An article examined the concept of the 'violence-resilient' school, and compared school practices to minimize violence.
Source: Chris Watkins, Melanie Mauthner, Roger Hewitt, Debbie Epstein and Diana Leonard, 'School violence, school differences and school discourses', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 33 Number 1
Links:
Date: 2007-Feb
An article examined the role and potential of school as a site for programmes designed to prevent and reduce anti-social and criminal behaviour by young people.
Source: Carol Hayden, Tom Williamson and Richard Webber, 'Schools, pupil behaviour and young offenders', British Journal of Criminology, Volume 47 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Feb
