Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor McConnel declared a non-prejudicial interest as a member of the school Exclusion Panel at King Henry VIII school.

Dr Morwenna Wagstaff introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Hugo Hutchison, Kelly Waythe and Rachael Roach-Rooke:

Why have the number of exclusions and days lost increased so much, and how does this compare to Wales, the UK, and globally? How many are repeat exclusions and what happens to those pupils?

The increase is attributed to more challenging behaviours post-pandemic, with national trends showing similar rises. Repeat exclusions are tracked, and most exclusions are short-term. Each exclusion is a unique decision, and most pupils do not have repeat exclusions. Support includes restorative meetings and multi-agency plans to prevent recurrence.

How are permanent exclusions rescinded, what is the process, and what happens to those children?

Permanent exclusions are rescinded through collaboration between the school, local authority, and family, often by creating a support package, managed moves to other schools, or intervention via the pupil referral service. The process is based on agreement and tailored support for the child.

Is there opportunity for more proactive support to help young people build resilience and prevent exclusions, beyond staff-focused approaches?

The meeting acknowledged the importance of proactive and preventative strategies, with ongoing professional learning for staff and embedding trauma-informed practices. There is emphasis on building capacity in schools and multi-agency support, with positive impacts starting to show, especially in primary settings.

What happens to a pupil during and after exclusion; specifically, what support is provided to prevent repeat exclusions, and could more be done to assist schools in this area?

The process involves communication with families, restorative meetings, and multi-agency involvement to support reintegration and reduce repeat exclusions. It should be emphasized that most pupils do not reoffend and that internal exclusions are also used as a preventative measure.

What is the significance of the exclusion numbers (noting 5% of pupils are excluded, with an average of about four exclusions per excluded pupil), and is the current trajectory sustainable? Is more/different action needed?

Exclusion is a last resort, but sometimes necessary for safety; numbers have risen due to societal changes, but recent data suggests a possible levelling off. Autumn term data shows a decrease in exclusions, and primary exclusions are often concentrated among a small group of pupils with complex needs.

Can you clarify the process and rationale for rescinding permanent exclusions, and what happens to pupils in these cases?

Rescinding permanent exclusions involves collaboration between the local authority, school, and family to develop alternative support packages, such as managed moves or pupil referral service interventions, aiming for reintegration and transparency in reporting. The Headteachers can cite examples of successful managed moves and would highlight the importance of trust and dialogue between schools and the local authority.

Is there specific support or packages to help excluded pupils return with a different approach, and is there more that could be done to support schools in this?

Support is tailored to individual pupils, often involving collaboration with the local authority to access additional funding and resources. There are examples where bespoke packages have led  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Emma Taylor introduced the report, delivered a presentation and answered the members’ questions:

What is the extent of multi-agency involvement, specifically the role of counselling and psychoeducation for pupils, and do young people receive proactive support to understand and regulate emotions before issues escalate?

School-based counselling is available in all secondary schools and play therapy is available in primary on a needs-led basis, but the service sits within Social Care, not Education. Multi-agency support (including educational psychology and the education support team) is provided as needed for excluded pupils. – ACTION: to provide a response from Social Care

How is best practice (such as resilience and emotional regulation initiatives) shared and implemented across schools?

Best practice in areas such as resilience and emotional regulation is shared primarily through the local authority’s Wellbeing in Schools Forum, where schools and the local authority collectively identify actions and exchange examples of effective approaches. In addition, cluster-based wellbeing lead groups enable primary and secondary schools within each cluster to share methods, initiatives and practical experience. When a child requires additional support – such as following an exclusion – multiagency practice is applied on an individual basis, involving options like schoolbased counselling, the Education Support Team, and Educational Psychology. These agencies work together to identify any specific interventions the child may need to process difficulties and develop healthier coping strategies, with the aim of preventing future behavioural issues.

Why did not all 30 primary schools participate in the survey, and why were Pupil Referral Units not included?

It was clarified that 28 primary schools participated (correcting the figure of 27 in the report); of the two that did not participate, one was ineligible due to only having foundation phase learners, and one had insufficient consent from families. Pupil Referral Units are currently part of a pilot to test survey suitability.

Are teaching staff sufficiently trained to deliver mental health and resilience education? Is there a potential risk of pathologizing normal stresses?

Secondary schools increasingly have specialist departments and staff receiving extra professional learning to teach these topics, with well-written resources available and ongoing monitoring of new initiatives to ensure positive impact. Monitoring and evaluation are integral when schools introduce new processes, and non-specialist delivery (e.g., during tutor time) is being addressed through more specialist approaches.

Is the reporting focussed on process or outcomes?

This wellbeing dataset is only one source of information and is mainly used to give a broad picture of school ethos, trends and provision. Schools hold other, more detailed data that tracks individual pupils, so this report should be seen as part of a wider set of tools rather than the sole measure of outcomes.

What structure or support exists for excluded pupils and PRU learners?

PRU learners are included within the same expectations as all schools under the new curriculum’s Health and Wellbeing Area of Learning. Staff in the PRU also teach this curriculum and gather pupil voice data in line with mainstream schools. The system is therefore not absent, but  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Questions from members to be received by emailed and passed to the relevant officers for a response. – ACTION