Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Timpson Review will (1) clarify the numbers of children being excluded because of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, and (2) identify what help is being given to such children and their families in schools that do not exclude them.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Exclusions can only be issued for disciplinary reasons. It is unlawful to exclude for a non-disciplinary reason. For example, it would be unlawful to exclude a pupil simply because they have additional needs or a disability that the school feels it is unable to meet.
The annual data on exclusions includes the numbers of children excluded for disciplinary reasons by type of special educational need, including those with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2015-to-2016.
The exclusions review will explore exclusions practice and implications for pupil groups disproportionately represented in the national statistics. The review considers how schools use exclusion and how this impacts on all pupils. In particular, it will consider why some groups of children are more likely to be excluded from school. It will also seek to identify best practice which can be shared across the system.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children have a statement of special educational needs or an education health and care plan primarily because of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The department publishes the number and proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including the type of need and type of school in the annual ‘Special educational needs in England’ statistical release, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen.
The type of need ‘Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties’ was removed in 2015 and ‘Social Emotional and Mental Health’ was added as a new type of need. Under the new categorisation, 13,493 children were in Special Schools as of the department’s last statistical release, in 2017. This new category is not expected to be treated as a direct replacement, therefore direct comparison is not advised.
We have launched a review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review will consider how schools use exclusion and how this impacts on all pupils, but in particular why some groups of children (including those with special education needs) are more likely to be excluded from school. Views and evidence can be submitted via the call for evidence which is open until 6 May.
We have also set out our vision for transforming the education provided to those who would not otherwise receive it, including because they have been excluded from school. ‘Creating opportunity for all: our vision for alternative provision’, which is attached, sets out our plans to ensure that children in alternative provision receive consistently high-quality education so that they can achieve their potential, and is available at:
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children are in special schools primarily because of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The department publishes the number and proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including the type of need and type of school in the annual ‘Special educational needs in England’ statistical release, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen.
The type of need ‘Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties’ was removed in 2015 and ‘Social Emotional and Mental Health’ was added as a new type of need. Under the new categorisation, 13,493 children were in Special Schools as of the department’s last statistical release, in 2017. This new category is not expected to be treated as a direct replacement, therefore direct comparison is not advised.
We have launched a review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review will consider how schools use exclusion and how this impacts on all pupils, but in particular why some groups of children (including those with special education needs) are more likely to be excluded from school. Views and evidence can be submitted via the call for evidence which is open until 6 May.
We have also set out our vision for transforming the education provided to those who would not otherwise receive it, including because they have been excluded from school. ‘Creating opportunity for all: our vision for alternative provision’, which is attached, sets out our plans to ensure that children in alternative provision receive consistently high-quality education so that they can achieve their potential, and is available at:
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what personal data of children who are excluded is routinely collected in regard to their home backgrounds; and in particular, whether those children live with both parents, and what other close relationships with adults they have.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Information on excluded pupils is collected from schools via the school census data collection. The department does not routinely collect information about a child’s living arrangements, nor does it collect information on a child’s relationship with their parents or other adults.
The department does collect the home address and certain other characteristic information that will provide some insight into the home background of individual children. This includes information concerning: whether the pupil would be eligible for free school meals or other funding streams (including early years pupil premium and disability access fund); whether the pupil is a service child; and whether the pupil has left care in England and Wales through either adoption, a special guardianship order, a residence order or a child arrangement order.
A robust approvals panel and other controls are in place to ensure that our data is safely guarded and used only in legal, secure and ethical ways.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the terms of reference for the Timpson Review on the rising number of exclusions in schools have been set; and if so, what they are.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The government has announced an externally led review of exclusions which will be led by the former Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families, Edward Timpson. The review will consider how schools use exclusion and how this affects all pupils, but in particular why some groups of children are more likely to be excluded from school. This includes pupils from certain ethnic groups; pupils who are eligible for free school meals, or have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years; pupils with special educational needs; looked after children; and children in need.
The terms of reference for the exclusions review is attached.