Don’t Exclude Me: Shouldn’t SEND be the first thought?
The BBC programme, “Don’t Exclude Me” has caused something of a mixed reaction among parents of children with SEND. One of our readers, Joanne Lewis, who’s the mother of two …
Category: Exclusion
Why there needs to be a moratorium on school exclusion
SNJ Note: It’s important to understand views that don’t necessarily align with your own. If you disagree with the views in this post please do comment on the blog post …
Is Excluded being Expelled? The DfE is sneaking in outdated language, hoping it’ll catch on
** Update** As a result of the advocacy on this issue, the SEND Minister, Vicky Ford, has replied to the CDC letter (see below for this) to say that they …
The scandal of the children with complex needs told they’re not welcome back at school
While schools opened to welcome children back last week, we have been hearing disturbing reports who have complex medical needs have been told to stay away. These children need support …
What’s a PRU to you? Busting the myths about alternative provision
with David Mills, Executive Vice Principal, Phoenix Park Academy & Sevenhills Academy When a child is admitted to a pupil referral unit (PRU) the impression people often get is that …
We won a legal point on unlawful exclusion and cleared my disabled son’s name
Adoptive parents expect their new child may deal with issues such as attachment, after living through prior traumatic circumstances, both pre and post-birth. It’s also not unusual for adopted children …
Scrap league tables and boost SEND training to beat off-rolling
No sooner had the Exclusions Review announced that off-rolling of pupils is “rare”, Ofsted comes along with research that indicates quite the opposite. I wasn’t going to write about this …
The Exclusions Review tries hard but falls short of a fix
“Schools must be places that are welcoming and respectful, where every child has the opportunity to succeed. To ensure this is the case, they should understand how their policies impact …
Exclusions 2018: Children with SEND six times more likely to be excluded
Pupils with SEND are up to six times more likely to be permanently excluded from school according to new government figures. The annual exclusions data show that overall exclusions – …
Challenge to the law that doesn’t protect disabled children from exclusion
Parents of an autistic teenager are going to the Upper Tribunal today to appeal a decision that they say discriminates against children with autism. Thirteen-year-old ‘L’, from Derbyshire, was excluded …
Shocking rise in autistic pupils being excluded from England’s schools
We’ve seen for some time the rise in children with special educational needs and disabilities, particularly autism, who end up being excluded – often illegally – from school because there …
While you’re reviewing “Children in Need”, can you fix SEND too please?
Recently, the government announced a multi-pronged review to, “transform education for children with additional needs and ambitious plans to improve the experiences of children in alternative provision”. I would have …
Is there meaningful accountability for illegal exclusions?
Over the years Special Needs Jungle has frequently highlighted the unacceptable practice of illegally excluding children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) from school. You can see just how …
The not-so-magic roundabout of school exclusion
In Swindon there is a traffic system known as “the Magic Roundabout.” It’s really a system of five small roundabouts surrounding a larger one. It’s a bit counter-intuitive: you go …
The Positive Power of Assessment – finding the right route
What is it that is so interesting about children? It seems a simple question. Parents know their own children well – or so they think. Then the child does something …
School Exclusions: Statemented children 9 times more likely to be excluded
Statistics published by the Department for Education today show that pupils with statements are nine times more likes to be permanently excluded from school than those pupils without any SEN. …
Unofficial Exclusions – we want to hear from you.
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend of mine who is a highly experienced SEN Advocate. I told her of a parent I know who had been asked to collect …