Special needs children excluded

From the archive, first published Wednesday 25th Apr 2007.

NEARLY half of pupils who are excluded from secondary schools in Southend have special educational needs, new figures have revealed.

In 2005-06, 42 per cent of all exclusions from secondary schools involves children with anything from ADHD to dyslexia or emotional or behavioural problems.

The vast majority are believed to come from mainstream schools.

Southend Council said it was concerned about the number of children with special needs being expelled from the borough's schools.

Council officers are working with schools to ensure all appropriate action is taken to improve the behaviour of pupils before they are permanently excluded.

The council wants to reduce the number of pupils with special needs being excluded as much as possible. A target of no pupils with special needs being permanently excluded has been set for the next three years.

Any children who are excluded on a permanent basis are educated at the council's pupil referral unit at the Renown, in Shoebury.

The local authority then talks to the pupils and their parents and tries to find them another school or a vocational course based on their needs.

Sally Carr, executive councillor responsible for education, said: "We don't leave them to wander the streets. We are under an obligation to provide them with 25 hours of education a week.

"They are put in the pupil referral unit while we look for an alternative.

"The idea is the pupil referral unit is only a port of call.

"They should not be there for a long stay.

"Most of these pupils are from mainstream schools. I believe only two of them went to special schools."

The number of children excluded from schools has gone down drastically from 60 in 2004 to 32 in January 2007.

Mrs Carr said they were trying be more proactive and act before things got out of hand.

She said: "We try to move them to another school before they are formally excluded."