Inclusive and Supportive Education Congress International Special Education Conference Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity? 1st - 4th August 2005. Glasgow, Scotland

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Pupil Exclusion from School: An Organisational Perspective

Dr David Bracher
01749 841240
davidbracher@btopenworld.com

Abstract

This study has researched many aspects of permanent exclusion over a period of seven years, in three distinct phases within two neighbouring shire counties. The purpose of the research has been to illuminate permanent exclusion in order to understand its nature more fully and to identify its impact upon the excluded individuals, their families, the mainstream schools involved, the education support services and major agencies. In the last phase two groups of mainstream schools were studied in order to understand why some exclude at higher rates than others, using ‘learning organisation’ theory, and to identify the organisational features of low excluding schools. All of the pupils studied in the three phases were described by their schools as having emotional and behavioural difficulties, itself a category of learning difficulty as defined by The Education Act (1993) and The Code of Practice (1994). The research evidence indicates that pupils with this type of learning difficulty are at a very high risk of becoming excluded.

The methodology adopted used a combination of qualitative methods to obtain consensus perceptions from key persons involved in the exclusions, supported by quantitative methods to compare different schools. The hypotheses explored related to the functioning of school systems and whether their organisational approaches contribute positively or negatively to the inclusion of pupils who exhibit emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

The research conclusions support the views of several authors and other recent research into the nature and effects of permanent exclusion. The findings support the notion that permanent exclusion is part of a process that has some of its origins within school systems and organisations, and that it is not therefore, in itself, a discrete and separate event.

The evidence indicates that permanent exclusion has a negative impact upon excluded pupils, their families and schools. Where there has been some form of multi-agency intervention, the demands placed on a range of professionals has been extremely high in terms of the time absorbed and the amount of expertise required to meet the complex needs of excluded pupils, their families and schools.

The schools researched were not operating as learning organisations according to the definitions in the literature, however some evidence indicates that there may be a link between their use of organisational problem solving and the more effective management of pupils’ behaviour and learning.

The findings of the research should directly assist LEAs and schools in developing inclusive practices to meet the government’s agenda for reducing the rates of permanent exclusion from mainstream schools, and for promoting organisational development in school systems using evidence based practice.

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