Exclusion
Exclusion is a last resort and in itself, it should not be
viewed as a punishment, simply another sanction. With most children,
exclusion is not a route they wish to follow and therefore will try to avoid
this happening.
However, some more challenging children will view this as an easy option. In
these cases, it may sometimes work to keep them in school on an internal
exclusion, or seclusion. This terminology is much better that isolation
as this makes the suggestion that the former is supportive whereas the latter
suggests punishment and revenge
There are only a few reasons when an exclusion may be an
automatic response
- use of an offensive weapon
- racist insults or attack
- sexual attack
- risk of serious self-harm
- risk of harm to others
- risk of serious damage to property
but there is and extensive
list on Teachernet which collates all the excludable offences into groups
In all cases of exclusion, there should be a re-entry programme which includes
a Pupil Support Programme set up in conjunction with parent(s) on the first day back, a period of time in the
support room to assess the state of mind and level of acceptance or defiance of
the situation.
There may be a need to set up part-time reintegration and
have the student involved with the process of managing that themselves.
This revolves around choice and control within certain parameters which work
for the school and the student at the same time.
It is also important to give the child some strategies for coping on this very
vulnerable first day back and to have the members of staff on board with a
little less rigorous set of demands at first.
Only after this assessment has been completed, should the student be re-entered
into the classroom