It seems uncontentious that policy development should be informed by evidence, and that researchers should be engaged to assess available evidence. In this paper, we tell the story of a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) about school exclusion, a task intended to inform a 'root and branch' policy review. Drawing on Carol Bacchi's 'What's the…

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.…

Across the four UK jurisdictions, there are distinct disparities in exclusion rates of school students. Northern Ireland, alongside Scotland and Wales, has demonstrated over time, lower rates of permanent exclusions and temporary exclusions compared with England. This paper examines these disparities from the perspectives of representatives from…

This paper will explore the ways in which behaviour features in the accounts of 'off rolling' processes in schools in England volunteered by participants -- senior school leaders, SENCos and parents, in an ongoing multi-stranded research project. In addition to analysing these accounts, this paper draws on contextual features and concepts such as…

This article explores the relationship between school exclusion and youth crime and considers what criminological research can add to our understanding. The article first explores the history of the ways in which the criminological implications of school exclusion have been conceptualised, including the link between exclusion and young people's…

This article explores and presents various statistics regarding permanent school exclusions in England. Publically available national data, e.g. "Permanent" and "fixed-period exclusions in England" (Department for Education, 2021a), are used to identify patterns and thus provide an overview of the number, profile and…

Utilising Critical Race Theory (CRT) as the analytical lens and CRT composite counter-storytelling as the method, this paper seeks to illuminate the experiences of minoritised children and young people racialised as Black in relation to encounters with the exclusionary practice called 'off-rolling'. We conceptualise off-rolling as a hidden process…

A rising number of children are permanently excluded from school each year in England. Children's experiences of exclusion are underrepresented in the literature, effectively giving prominence to the views and interpretations of researchers. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to explore the ways in which excluded children story…

This article draws upon legislation, policy, guidance and recently published research in order to explore why illegal exclusion, sometimes known as off rolling, is an under-researched area of education, and what the most significant barriers are to gaining a clearer understanding of the scale of, and reasons behind, the practice. In doing so, the…

Over the past several decades, public schools across the United States have experienced an increasingly visible diversity rift between student enrollment and teaching faculty. The number of students from diverse backgrounds continues to grow while educator ranks continue to become more homogeneous. This diversity rift presents several challenges…

In England, there is a lack of qualitative data exploring the approaches used across age phases and types of schools seeking to provide alternatives to school exclusion. The study used thematic analysis and semi-structured 1:1 interviews with 46 headteachers to determine the strategies employed in their contexts. Three themes were identified:…

Children excluded from school often have a range of unidentified needs that may directly contribute to their behaviour. Research and policy highlight the absence of screening for difficulties in children at risk of exclusion. This study aimed to assess and explore the feasibility and acceptability of neurodevelopmental and mental health screening…

Permanent exclusion from primary school is an issue of national and local concern; previous literature has primarily focused on secondary school experiences of school exclusion. Furthermore, research offering detailed insights into the experience of permanent exclusion from the perspectives of pupils, parents and school staff is limited. This…

The research aimed to investigate if drug misuse is an indicator and predictor of barriers to mainstream schooling and school exclusion. The objectives were to determine the extent of the barriers to mainstream schooling and to elicit and report the caregiver's experiences of their child's drug misuse and the impact it has had on them, their child…

This paper reports the findings from a systematic review of research evidence on the use of managed moves as an alternative to exclusion in UK schools. The review begins by discussing the political landscape of school exclusion, the concept of managed moves and their use with children and young people (CYP) 'at risk' of permanent exclusion. During…