Exclusions are a common disciplinary strategy utilised in schools for managing adverse pupil behaviour, with 2,097 permanent exclusions in the 2021/22 Autumn Term alone (ONS, 2022), paired with a forecasted increase as pupils struggle to reintegrate post-pandemic (Daniels, et al, 2020). Official Statistics demonstrate how school exclusions disproportionately affect marginalised groups, including pupils entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) and/or possessing Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND). Consequently, this study seeks to explore the relationship between school exclusion and social disadvantage, and the extent to which it can ever effectively be challenged.
The study employs various literature exploring the explanations of disproportionate rates of exclusion; including Material Deprivation (Chowdry and McBridge, 2017), Cultural Deprivation (Sugarman, 1967), and teacher labelling (Dunne and Gazeley, 2008). This is presented alongside discussion of educational and social policies, and alternative approaches to behaviour management.
The study utilised semi-structured interviews with young adults who had experienced exclusions, and questionnaires distributed to professionals within the educational and social care sector. Critical analysis of the evidence demonstrates how exclusions can disproportionately affect vulnerable individuals, and perpetuate social disadvantage in adulthood. Many of the themes appeared to be interconnected and could be linked back to the overarching theme of insufficient funding within a Neoliberal policy design, culminating in the recommendation of increased investment across the public sector. The research would benefit from a larger-scale and longitudinal approach, to better illustrate the relationship between exclusions and social disadvantage.
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