Preventing Looked After Children Suspensions and Exclusions

Exclusions

The lives of many Looked After Children are characterised by change and instability and these are major factors in underachievement. Where suspension or permanent exclusion from school is used as a sanction for Looked After Children, instability is increased and the sense of rejection reinforced.

Fixed term and permanent exclusion should be used only as an absolute last resort.

Preventing Suspensions Permanent exclusions

Looked After Children are suspended from school at a much higher rate than other children; they are more than twice as likely to be permanently excluded from school than all children. Negative behaviour from Looked After Children often has its roots in the experience that led to them becoming looked after. For instance, attention-needing behaviour may sometimes reflect neglect in earlier childhood. Traumatised children may need significant help to learn personal skills, such as self-control, which their peers acquired much earlier in life.

While Looked After Children must have consistency, schools are asked to also provide 'discrete flexibility' for them in a 'subtle way'. When the behaviour of a child looked after is giving cause for concern, this should be discussed with the child's Virtual School Officer (VSO) at the PEP meeting and strategies for improvement put in place and monitored frequently. If such behaviour escalates between PEPs, then additional meetings should be called by the school to discuss causes and interventions to which the VSO, the carer and the social worker should be invited.

If the child has an EHC Plan, consideration should be given by the school to calling an early annual review. Schools, social workers, carers and the VSO need to be proactive in obtaining support for Looked After Children to avoid suspensions and permanent exclusions.

Amongst other interventions they might:

·        Put in place a behaviour support plan or pastoral support plan

·        Commission an educational psychologist to assess the child and make recommendations

·        Provide a teaching assistant or learning mentor support

·        Make changes within the classroom in terms of seating plans, examining the content of what is being taught to ensure it is not the cause of the child's behaviour, and reappraise the teaching and learning strategies being used

·        Involve the SENCO if the child has an EHC Plan

·        Refer the child to a counsellor or CAMHs

·        Consider an alternative timetable