(UK) Birmingham: 8 kids/week expelled from school; 40% have special needs

Oct 22, 2023, Birmingham Live: Eight children a week expelled as Birmingham schools struggle to cope https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/eight-children-week-expelled-birmingham-27901809?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

The number of children being permanently excluded from city schools has rocketed. Around eight young people a week, some as young as four, are currently being booted out of their schools because of their behaviour.

In one case described as 'very troubling', a six year old who uses a wheelchair and is non-verbal was expelled from her mainstream school, a council meeting heard. She was one of 391 children given permanent exclusions in the last school year - more than twice as many as before the Covid pandemic.

Other cases involve children who have taken weapons into school, or who have launched physical assaults on staff or pupils, a meeting of the city's education, children and young people's scrutiny committee was told (Wednesday October 18). The rise in cases is piling pressure on the city's pupil referral unit City of Birmingham School (COBS), which has over 500 places spread across seven campuses, making it the biggest in the country.

It is about to expand to meet demand. An extra 110 new secondary school places are being created by next January, at a cost of £1.2 million, with the expectation they will all be needed, said head teacher Steve Howells.

Schools who have expelled pupils blame 'worsening levels of behaviour' following the pandemic.

They also highlight more pressure on schools' budgets, leading to less spending on specialist and pastoral staffing that can tackle poor behaviour, said Alan Mitchell, the council's Head of Service for School Admissions and Fair Access….

COBS operates on seven campuses, with primary settings in Erdington and Sparkhill, and secondary campuses in Erdington, Small Heath, Balsall Heath, Quinton and Kings Heath. In a report submitted to the committee, the school said pupils they supported often had high levels of need….

Mr Bowles said that COBS was not a special needs-specialist school but was seeing high levels of children with additional needs who were expelled. "We have to push back sometimes (to the school or council) over the kids sent to us. The code of practice says no child with a special need or disability should be excluded because of it....

Cllr Des Hughes said he regularly heard from parents who believed their child's special needs were the sole reason for expulsion, and on one occasion a head claimed they were excluding the child as a last resort to help the parent get the need assessed and met. "We need assurances that is not happening," he said.

The council has a duty to ensure any pupils expelled are back in full time education within six days and most end up at a COBS setting. Recent work has been done to limit exclusions, working with high risk children. A new dedicated team focussed on preventing exclusions across the city was also being set up.

But Mr Mitchell warned the meeting: "Birmingham will continue to experience a high level of permanent exclusions in the next academic year" because of the time needed to embed new systems and strategies with local heads.

Of those excluded, there is clear evidence of a link to deprivation and other inequalities, the committee heard. Mr Mitchell said some 68% of those excluded were in receipt of free school meals. Most were boys (78%). Around 40% had a level of special need or disability, though only a small number had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place….