Press Release

‘Six day exclusion puts schools between a rock and a hard place’ says NASUWT

13 May 2009

Commenting on the release of the Ofsted report on exclusions, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in the UK, said:

“It is important to recognise that as Ofsted itself acknowledges, this survey is based on a very small sample of schools and local authorities and should not be interpreted as a signal that the education sector is failing excluded students.

“The provision of full time education after the sixth day of exclusion was always going to be difficult for schools.

“They now find themselves between a rock and a hard place. If they exclude for less than six days they are condemned for too many short term exclusions. If they exclude for over six days they are accused of failing to meet the needs of pupils.

“The fact of the matter is that to address the needs of pupils who are excluded, access to appropriate provision and support to address their behavioural needs takes longer than a few days.

“For schools exclusion isn’t the end of a process, it is part of a strategy to meet the needs of some individual pupils while safeguarding the health, welfare and educational progress of the majority of students. Schools never just exclude pupils and forget about them. They are often working feverishly to address their needs.

“Local authorities need to show leadership on this issue and ensure that they have provision in place to support schools in meeting their legal obligations. The fact is there is no coherent or consistent alternative provision or other support across local authorities. This is what needs to be addressed.”