This paper reports findings from a review of school exclusion policy and legislation in Scotland, conducted as part of a comparative study of school exclusion across the four UK jurisdictions by the Excluded Lives research group. Drawing on a range of policy sources, this paper adopts Hyatt's (2013) framework to contextualise school exclusion…

In this paper we explore how Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) conceptualise vulnerability and risk, and how these conceptualisations inform their responses to students at risk of exclusion from school. The literature typically makes a distinction between within-child and systemic or structural factors. We draw on interview data from…

This paper considers the experiences of education for girls at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream secondary schools in England. The number of girls being permanently excluded from school is a growing issue, and data suggests that girls are being excluded at a percentage rate which exceeds boys, yet they have continued to receive…

Permanent school exclusions continue to be a topic of keen interest to UK schools and policymakers. The debate over the practice has recently intensified owing to the perceived negative outcomes directly resulting from the exclusion event. Research has indeed shown that pupils who have been permanently excluded are at a greater risk for a variety…

Over the last five years, the Excluded Lives team has been examining the patterns and processes of school exclusions across the UK in order to identify those factors which may exacerbate or reduce exclusions. One of most the striking aspects is the contrasting accounts of the causes of exclusion provided by professionals and pupils. Drawing on…

This systematic review synthesises the existing research evidence regarding the experiences of young people reintegrated to a mainstream secondary school (MSS) through alternative provision (AP), following permanent exclusion. Eight studies, including one international study, were critically appraised and synthesised following PRISMA guidelines.…

The cost of permanent exclusion from school is an issue that has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. However, efforts to estimate these costs have mainly focused on those incurred after the student has been excluded, such as those for alternative education providers. Less focus has been given to costs associated with processes…

Background: Physical activity and modes of sport are widely adopted to promote health, wellbeing, behavioural outcomes and educational attainment in young people excluded from education. However, little is known about the physical activity or sports involvement of excluded young people or the role of participation on predictors and outcomes…

In this paper, the concepts of fabrication, subjectivation and performativity are mobilised in an analysis of varied exclusionary practices in England's schools with particular reference to "off-rolling", defined by the national school inspectorate as the illegal removal of a student from a school roll in order to enhance academic…

Well-established evidence of the ill-effects of exclusionary school discipline, its disproportionate use on students of colour, and association with the "school-to-prison pipeline" has, in the last decade, led to systemic reforms in the United States, which are successfully reducing exclusion and improving outcomes. Few studies, however,…

For the first time, this paper takes a dynamic approach to studying formal school exclusions and their association with educational outcomes. In particular, we study every instance of school exclusions over a key part of a pupil's education lifecourse between Year 6 (end of primary school) to Year 11 (end of secondary school). Using a single…

There are well-documented situational factors which correspond to risks of exclusion and mental health difficulties. However, in education policy, factors relating to exclusion and mental health needs are often attributed to dispositional, within-person factors rather than situational factors, or even wider systemic factors which may contribute to…

Student dropout, defined as the temporary or definitive suspension of the exercise of the right to education, is attributable to multiple variables classified into individual, academic, institutional, and socioeconomic determinants which may be exacerbated in the context of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Consequently, this work aims…

Aim: This systematic literature review aims to explore the effectiveness of school-wide interventions in reducing disciplinary exclusion from mainstream secondary schools. Rationale: In England, head teachers have government support to use exclusion as a disciplinary sanction if deemed necessary (Department for Education, 2017a). Research has…

The objective of this constructivist grounded theory study was to understand the experiences of students who have been disciplinarily excluded from school. Fifteen students (male, n = 11; Black, n = 10; having special education needs, n = 9) and 16 multidisciplinary staff in Ontario participated. Students experienced high rates of expanded…