Pupils being excluded for assaults on staff
CHILDREN are being excluded from schools in Wales for assaulting staff.
The cases were revealed in responses to freedom of information requests from the Echo.
Our findings also showed seven pupils in Caerphilly were permanently excluded for assaulting staff last year while two children in Rhondda Cynon Taf were expelled in 2018-19 for attacking staff.
Violence against staff in Cardiff schools prompted more than 900 temporary exclusions in the four years to 2018.
There were 72 fixed-term exclusions for assaults on staff in Merthyr Tydfil area schools in 2018-19 alone.
Teaching union NASUWT Cymru said it was “shocking” teachers were being assaulted by their youngest pupils and warned violence is now even more of a worry with the risk of Covid-19 infection.
The union has asked schools to review behaviour policies in light of the risk of the virus being spread from shouting, spitting, and assault by pupils.
The union’s national officer for Wales, Neil Butler, said: “It is a lot more of a risk now and we have asked schools to look again at their behaviour and discipline policies so they are robust when dealing with attacks. We are worried about people spitting at members.”
He said most pupils are wellbehaved and it is not clear if behaviour has got worse but the union fears schools aren’t tough enough on those who attack staff for fear of exclusion rates affecting performance results. Exclusion should only be a final resort but physical assault “crosses a line”.
“It is traumatic for members if they are assaulted and we are concerned about reticence to exclude. Violence is widespread but more unusual among younger pupils. It is shocking this is happening among reception pupils.”
In Cardiff, in 2018-19, fixed-term exclusions numbered 1,250 including 21 in reception, 21 in year one, 55 in year two, 81 in year three.
In 2017-18, the figures were even higher, with 1,398 fixed-term exclusions including 14 in reception, 31 in year one, 47 in year two, 48 in year three.
In terms of the severest sanction – permanent exclusion – no primary pupils were permanently excluded in 2017-18 but in 2018-19 more than 35 school pupils were permanently excluded overall (fewer than five in years two and three of primary, the rest in high school).
Between 2014 and 2018 there were 1,433 fixed-term exclusions for assault/violence towards other pupils, 903 for assault/violence against staff, 55 for racial harassment, 1,714 for disruptive behaviour, 203 for substance misuse, 302 for verbal abuse against a pupil, and 305 for damage to property.
In Rhondda Cynon Taf, In 2018-19 some 23 pupils were permanently excluded compared to eight the previous year, 20 in 2016-17, four in 201516, and 20 in 2014-15. None were primary pupils.
Some of the reasons for permanent exclusions included:
■ 2018-19: physical assault against staff - two;
■ 2018-19: physical assault against pupil - eight; and
■ 2018-19: verbal abuse/threatening behaviour towards adult - one.
In 2018-19 there were 2,681 fixedterm exclusions, slightly up on 2,198 the previous year.
Of these six were for bullying, 99 for damage, 690 for persistent disruptive behaviour, and 359 for physical assault against a pupil. A further 239 were for physical assault against staff compared with 188 for this reason the previous year, 135 in 2016-17, 113 in 201516, and 83 in 2014-15.
There were 637 fixed-term exclusions for verbal abuse and threatening behaviour to an adult last year compared with 485 the previous year and 361 in 2014-15.
A further 20 fixed-term exclusions in 2018-19 were for racist incidents, nine for sexual misconduct, and 119 for substance misuse. The rest were for disruption and other incidents.
Among fixed-term exclusions 26 were in reception classes in 2018-19, the same number as in 2017-18. That has been rising in the last few years from just seven fixed-term exclusions in reception-age pupils in 2014 to 12 in 2015-16, 15 in 2016-17, and 26 each year after.
There were 26 fixed-term exclusions among year ones last year compared to eight in 2014-15.
In Blaenau Gwent, there were fewer than five permanent exclusions in 2018 compared to 10 in 2017 and 12 in 2016.
Reasons for fixed-term exclusions included racist incidents (six) and violence against staff 193 (compared to 227 in 2017) while 97 were for violence against another pupil and six for bullying.
In Caerphilly, in 2019 26 pupils were permanently excluded compared with 28 in 2018, 25 in 2017, 16 in 2016 and eight in 2015.
Of those one was in year four of primary and the rest were secondary pupils.
Reasons for permanent exclusions included assault on pupil – three in 2019, five in 2018; assault on staff – seven in 2019, five in 2018; possession of weapons – two in 2019, one in 2018; possession of substances – one in 2018; sexual misconduct – one in 2019; threatening behaviour to a pupil – one in 2019; use of illegal substances – four in 2019, two in 2018; theft – one in 2019. The rest include issues including disruptive behaviour.
Fixed term exclusions have tipped over 1,000 every year for the past five years at 1,306 last year, 1,469 in 2018, 1,533 in 2017, 1.176 in 2016 and 1.102 in 2015.
Of the 1,306 fixed term exclusions last year 135 were for assaults on staff, 200 for assaults on pupils, 151 were for verbal abuse, 32 for threatening a teacher and 11 for possessing a weapon.
Bridgend council would not give numbers for permanent exclusions in the last five years saying low numbers could lead to people being identified. But they said reasons for permanent exclusions in this period included assaults on adults and pupils as well as verbal abuse to adults.
In 2018-19 there were 917 fixedterm exclusions, compared with 714 the previous year, 775 in 2016-17, and 695 in 2014-15.
Again reasons included assault on staff and pupils and verbal abuse as well as racism and sexual misconduct.
In Merthyr Tydfil in 2018-19 there were 358 fixed-term exclusions, down on 439 the previous year. That included 14 reception pupils, 15 in year one, and 35 in year two. The previous year there were only five exclusions for children of reception age.
There were 72 fixed-term exclusions for assaults on staff in 2018-19, 103 for assaults on pupils, 44 for verbal abuse, four for racist abuse, and nine for bringing a weapon in (none were knives or guns).