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Pinball Kids: preventing school exclusions

A person with shoulder-length brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera. They are wearing a dark top and standing in front of a brick wall.
Laura Partridge
Former Associate Director, Creative Learning and Education
A person with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a blue patterned blouse stands in front of a textured brick wall. They are smiling and wearing a lanyard.
Fran Landreth Strong
Former Researcher, Economic Security and Young People
A person with long blond hair and glasses smiles at the camera. They are wearing a floral-patterned blouse. The background features a textured stone wall.
Elinor Lobley
Former Intern – Creative Learning and Development
Smiling person with short blonde hair wearing a dark top stands in front of a brick wall.
Danielle Mason
Former Director, RSA Education
Report 16 Mar 2020
Education and learning

The increase in school exclusions aren’t just an alarming statistic. It’s a social justice issue.

This new report, supported by the Betty Messenger Charitable Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, shows how the damage of school exclusions falls disproportionately on society’s most vulnerable groups, including children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The rise in exclusions has been caused by a ‘perfect storm’ hitting the system, from funding pressure to changes in the curriculum and inspections.

The key to preventing damaging school exclusions is building stronger relationships between students and teachers or school staff.

Download Pinball Kids: preventing school exclusions (pdf, 1.6 MB)

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Invest in teams to support headteachers
  • Create careers in pastoral/support roles
  • Create template communications with parents so they know their rights
  • Mandate record-keeping so we know where every child is in the system
  • Non-teachers as leaders, heads of smaller tutor groups
  • Support for transition from primary to secondary school
  • Make inclusion part of Ofsted inspections
Cover of a document titled "Pinball Kids: Preventing School Exclusions" by Laura Partridge, Fenn Landerth Strong, Eli Loblely, and Danni Mason, March 2020. The design includes geometric shapes and the RSA logo on a pink background.
the-rsa-pinball-kids-preventing-school-exclusions
Download PDF – 1.58 MB

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