Well, it would seem that after many years of promoting Supportive Behaviour Management strategies, it would appear that some have finally come to their senses.
The think tank 'Demos' report's author, Sonia Sodha has made it clear that exclusion is an expensive option and does not solve the behaviour management issue. It just moves it elsewhere.
Currently, educating a pupil in a mainstream school costs around £4000pa but exclude and put that same pupil in a PRU (pupil referral unit) and the cost soars to around £15000. In addition to these cost implications, it says, government figures show 1% of 15 year olds in PRUs achieved five GCSEs at grades A*-C or equivalent; 11.3% achieved five or more
grades A*-G; and 82.1% achieved one or more qualifications and that leads on to the current problem of 200,000 or so NEETs and youth offending. Read more on the NEETs problem here
I have long advocated that the best place to manage these difficult and challenging pupils is right there, in their own local school, not full-time and 100% curriculum, but a tailored programme of support and curriculum access that meets their needs and those of the school. In this way, support can be organised to supplement what the school currently uses and ensure those vulnerable pupils can access good quality support on an 'on-demand' basis.
It's not rocket science, but it is controversial. Most schools just don't want to have to deal with challenging and obstructive pupils, but I think the concept of 'cherry picking' by exclusion has gone on too long. We have a wave of damaged, emotionally disabled and disruptive pupils who need our help. We are the professionals who can ensure the support we put in place best fits their needs. They need the continuity of placement and a sense of belonging, something a PRU doesn't necessarily give. Self esteem is a key point which is often overlooked in the development of our young people and we need to ensure they feel good about themselves and achieve, despite their problems.
It's not insurmountable, but it does require managers and stakeholders to open their eyes to the problems and do what is really needed, not what is just wanted.
First published 28 Feb 2012
The think tank 'Demos' report's author, Sonia Sodha has made it clear that exclusion is an expensive option and does not solve the behaviour management issue. It just moves it elsewhere.
Currently, educating a pupil in a mainstream school costs around £4000pa but exclude and put that same pupil in a PRU (pupil referral unit) and the cost soars to around £15000. In addition to these cost implications, it says, government figures show 1% of 15 year olds in PRUs achieved five GCSEs at grades A*-C or equivalent; 11.3% achieved five or more
grades A*-G; and 82.1% achieved one or more qualifications and that leads on to the current problem of 200,000 or so NEETs and youth offending. Read more on the NEETs problem here
I have long advocated that the best place to manage these difficult and challenging pupils is right there, in their own local school, not full-time and 100% curriculum, but a tailored programme of support and curriculum access that meets their needs and those of the school. In this way, support can be organised to supplement what the school currently uses and ensure those vulnerable pupils can access good quality support on an 'on-demand' basis.
It's not rocket science, but it is controversial. Most schools just don't want to have to deal with challenging and obstructive pupils, but I think the concept of 'cherry picking' by exclusion has gone on too long. We have a wave of damaged, emotionally disabled and disruptive pupils who need our help. We are the professionals who can ensure the support we put in place best fits their needs. They need the continuity of placement and a sense of belonging, something a PRU doesn't necessarily give. Self esteem is a key point which is often overlooked in the development of our young people and we need to ensure they feel good about themselves and achieve, despite their problems.
It's not insurmountable, but it does require managers and stakeholders to open their eyes to the problems and do what is really needed, not what is just wanted.
First published 28 Feb 2012