The rise and rise of kids being kicked out of school
As more and more children under the age of 10 are being excluded, we investigate...
All children can be unruly, mischievous and, at times, naughty, but imagine kids who lash out, disrupt and are even violent to adults and peers. All at the tender age of five.
Sadly, it’s not that uncommon, as the rising number of children being excluded from primary schools over the past few years shows, and, in 2016, that number exceeded 1,000.
People are quick to blame parents and schools, but should more be done to help disruptive children stay in mainstream schools and encourage a better understanding of what these children need?
There are many reasons children behave ‘ badly’, including medical conditions
such as ADHD and autism, which often take time to diagnose. Educational psychologist Dr Jeremy Swinson agrees that ‘the reasons for children’s exclusions are very varied, but they invariably involve behaviour that causes major disruption of lessons and often involve physical violence against other pupils’.
It’s certainly difficult for everyone, particularly the kids. ‘The effect of exclusion can have a dramatic impact,’ Dr Swinson says.
The wider effects
That’s something Faline Shears, 30, knows only too well. Her son, Jonah, was a bright, happy baby when he was born in May 2011. ‘He was always alert, looking at everything,’ Faline explains. ‘But he didn’t sleep well.’
By the time he was 10 months old, Jonah was separating his building blocks into colours and, as Faline watched him grow, she learned he liked routine and was a perfectionist.
When he started reception in September 2015, Faline was battling for an autism diagnosis. Jonah became overwhelmed by loud noises, hid under tables, covered his ears and was sometimes violent towards staff.
‘ We knew he wasn’t a naughty kid – the school did, too,’ Faline says. But Jonah had no control over his outbursts and was always left upset by the experience, which would often leave him suspended from school at the age of just four.
His special educational needs coordinator was excellent, but exclusion was trying for Jonah. ‘Of course, it’s completely unacceptable to behave violently, but taking away his routine was the worst thing to do for him. He felt rejected, too,’ Faline explains.
After a short stint at a specialist unit, Jonah was reintroduced into mainstream school, but Faline feels more should’ve been done to make the transition smoother.
‘It was stressful for everyone,’ she says. And, after yet another incident, in April this year, Jonah was expelled. Now, Faline and Jonah’s dad are trying to secure help – and a school place – for him.
Finding support
The Engage Trust tries to help families in this situation. It runs nine academies around Norfolk for children who have been excluded from school, and works with the students towards re-admittance into mainstream classrooms.
Des Reynolds, the trust’s chief executive officer, says, ‘It’s common for people to blame parents for the complex and challenging behaviour of their children, and there’s often a justification in that parental or family dysfunction can be a key contributor to a young person’s difficulties,’ he explains. ‘However, it’s a drastic over-simplification to assume that improved parenting would solve most of the problem.’
In the schools run by The Engage Trust, class sizes are smaller, which is something mum-of-four Toni Hanrahan agrees with. Her eight-yearold son, Harry, has been excluded from school many times for violence.
‘I think we need smaller classes and more key workers, but budgets and facilities won’t stretch to that,’ she says.
Toni says Harry is a strong character and needs his mind to be challenged. Harry, like many others in his position, is an intelligent boy. ‘He could go extremely far, but we need more support,’ Toni says.
Hopefully, one day, kids and parents like Faline and Jonah will get the help they need.
In the meantime, perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to judge so-called naughty or badly behaved kids, and instead ask the reasons why. Then, progress can be made.