Minutes:
Context:
We received the report on Young People Excluded from Schools, the purpose was to share information so that members are aware of the progress in reducing exclusions from schools and the current levels of exclusion in Monmouthshire Schools and enable comparison with statistical neighbours
Key Issues:
If children and young people are excluded from schools, research suggests that there is a higher probability of them being involved in anti-social behaviour and becoming disaffected with education.
If children and young people of school age are permanently excluded from schools then the Local Authority would need to ensure that educational provision is provided at the next nearest school or via the Pupil Referral Service until appropriate educational provision is secured. If pupils are permanently excluded then this could result in the Local Authority having to provide transport to enable the pupil to be able to attend educational provision. This could have a significant impact upon transport budgets.
Welsh Assembly Guidance – Exclusions from Schools and Pupil Referral Units (81/2012) describes informal or unofficial exclusions, as unlawful regardless of whether they are done with the agreement of parents or carers. Unlawful, unofficial or informal exclusion refers to schools:-
• sending learners home for disciplinary reasons, but not following the procedures required for formal exclusion
• learners being sent home for either short periods of time, or for longer indefinite periods which can sometimes result in the learner not returning to school at all.
Unlawful exclusions deprives parents and young people of their rights to appeal against a head teacher’s decision to exclude them. If this is suspected within Monmouthshire, schools would be challenged by Local Authority Officers.
If Children and Young People are subject to unlawful exclusions then there are potential safeguarding issues as children and young people would be out of educational provision.
Pupils from vulnerable groups such as Black Minority Ethnic Groups (BME), Looked After Children (LAC), Gypsy Traveller Pupils can experience higher rates of exclusion than pupils not in these vulnerable groups. Exclusions amongst these cohorts are monitored rigorously.
Levels of primary fixed term exclusion in Monmouthshire were too high and the Local Authority were allocated an additional resource July 2012 to provide intervention to reduce levels of primary fixed term exclusions
Member Scrutiny:
· Members recognised the importance of continued support for a child that had been excluded and requested clarification that this was in place. Officers confirmed that the circumstances of individual cases would be considered. Individual pupil tracking assisted in terms of identifying children who may present with problems. All vulnerable pupils and attendance were tracked and reports produced on a monthly basis.
· A member referred to preventative work and whether the authority was well equipped in terms of teacher training. The committee were reassured that a range of varied training being introduced, to ensure that programme in place to address issues.
Committee’s Conclusion:
Chair’s Summary:
Members acknowledged the potential safeguarding issues in relation to unlawful school exclusions - given that young people would be outside of educational provision.
Members recognised that historic levels of primary fixed term exclusions in Monmouthshire were too high and that the Local Authority had allocated an additional resource in July 2012 to provide intervention to reduce levels of primary fixed term exclusions.
The Committee agreed that every effort was required to ensure interventions were working to ensure school exclusions were kept to a minimum and agreed to monitor this annually. Members acknowledged the potential safeguarding issues in relation to unlawful school exclusions - given that young people would be outside of educational provision.
Members recognised that historic levels of primary fixed term exclusions in Monmouthshire were too high and that the Local Authority had allocated an additional resource in July 2012 to provide intervention to reduce levels of primary fixed term exclusions.
The Committee agreed that every effort was required to ensure interventions were working to ensure school exclusions were kept to a minimum and agreed to monitor this annually.
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Recommendation:
For members to accept the content of the report and for this agenda item to be reported annually.
Supporting documents: