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Fewer children excluded from schools in Portsmouth

The number of pupils being excluded from schools in Portsmouth has decreased in the last year according to new statistics from the DCSF.

The downward trend is seen across both primary and secondary schools in the city for fixed period exclusions from the 2006/7 academic year to compared to 2005/6.

There were 1.5% fewer exclusions across primary, secondary and special schools in the city, with the biggest improvements coming in secondary schools with 3.5% fewer than the previous year.

Pupils gained over 1538 days more in the classroom, with 213 fewer pupils being excluded than in 2005/6.

To date, there is also further reduction in the number of exclusions for the current academic year.

Portsmouth had no permanent exclusions from primary schools compared with seven in Southampton, and only 10 from all maintained and no-maintained schools against 40 in Southampton.For fixed period exclusions the numbers are 432 for primary schools, just over 3% of the school population., and 1,685 for state funded secondary schools, or 17.44% of the school population. Southampton had double the number of fixed period exclusions in state funded secondary schools compared to Portsmouth.

The top three reasons why children were excluded from Portsmouth schools during 2006/7 were:

• persistent disruptive behaviour
• physical assault against a pupil
• verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult

Schools are working hard to create alternatives to exclusions, which can include 'parking' where a pupil is placed in a different class with a different year group under staff supervision for a set length of time, inviting a parent to come in to work with their child, the use of Inclusion Units or Learning support areas within the school, support from external agencies such as Multi-Agency Behaviour Support Service or using the educational psychologist service provided by the local authority or by schools.

Cllr Eleanor Scott, Executive Member for Education, Children and Young People said "Exclusion of a pupil is a school's ultimate disciplinary sanction. Schools in Portsmouth have worked very hard to provide alternatives to exclusion that have enabled more pupils to continue their education within the school system."

Portsmouth City Council is currently working with schools to improve consistency regarding when a child is excluded.

A review of pupil exclusions from Portsmouth school was produced by Portsmouth City Council in May 2008. A report of the findings can be viewed by visiting  http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/media/prc20080502r4.pdf

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000793/index.shtml

Date : 10 July 2008