The Difference

Every week 109 of England’s most vulnerable children– equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. And the true scale of the problem is even larger. Every year, hundreds of thousands experience less visible forms of exclusion – internal exclusions, repeat suspensions, managed moves and unexplained school exits.

Excluded children are likely to be the country’s most disadvantaged: 4 times more likely to be growing up in poverty, 7 times more likely to have special needs, 10 times more likely to have mental health issues and 10 times more likely to be interacting with social services.

Once excluded, life chances are bleak. Less than 5% of excluded pupils finish school with the qualifications they need in maths and English; 50% are not in education, employment or training (NEET) straight after GCSEs. 59% of young people who experience permanent exclusion have a criminal conviction or caution by the age of 19.

To date, there has been insufficient research, policy understanding and teacher training in how to measure or move outcomes for the most complex and vulnerable pupils - for anyone struggling at school, not just those at risk of permanent exclusion. Without the tools to support all students, increasing numbers of teachers are leaving the profession, disillusioned and disempowered.