Returns from Exclusion – Top Tips

Sometimes the behaviours our students display can leave us with no alternative other than to exclude them for a fixed term. Excluding them is a consequence to their behaviour but how do we ensure that they return to school having learned from their experience, especially if exclusion is no real deterrent?

Below are our top tips for supporting students in managing their behaviour when returning to school after a number of exclusion:

1. Listen to them: when they come back to school and have their re-admittance interview, listen to what they have to say. There is a reason why they behaved the way they did and you need to identify what it is.

2. Discuss and set behaviour targets: it is important to monitor their return to school; this can be done through HOH or HOY or even a SLT/SMT report.

3. Devise a support plan: once you have set targets you need to put strategies in place to support the student in meeting their targets. This plan should be drawn up between school, parent(s)/Carer(s) and student and should contain details of strategies to be used by teachers and student, as well as rewards and/or consequences for the student if they do/don’t meet their targets. This document must be reviewed regularly by all parties involved.

4. Share support plan with staff: it is important that everybody knows what has been agreed so that they can also help the student to meet their behaviour targets.

5. Organise a meeting or staff training: sometimes it can be beneficial to staff for strategies to be explained to them. If they did not attend the support plan meeting then they will not know the finer details of what was discussed. Staff will need to know how they will be supported in meeting the needs of the student. They will also need to be advised to follow all actions through rather than make allowances for the student because of the support plan.

6. Be consistent in your management of their behaviour: often there is no quick fix solution when helping students to better manage their behaviour. You will need to be patient and be prepared to look for additional support for them if they are failing the targets on their support plan.

7. Keep records: occasionally schools are just not equipped to deal with the behaviour of certain students and therefore eventually a decision is made for alternative provision to be explored. It is at this stage that you will need to be able to demonstrate how you as a school have supported the student. Local Authorities will want to see proof that you have done all that you can to meet the needs of the student before considering alternative placements.

Please look at our Reintegration section for more information if necessary