The School of Law and Social Sciences sponsored a Multi-Agency Summit on Permanent School Exclusion in Surrey on 2nd March 2022
The Multi-Agency Summit on Permanent School Exclusion in Surrey was organised in collaboration with Dr Julie Llewelyn, High Sheriff of Surrey 2021-22. The High Sheriff’s theme for her tenure was permanent school exclusions, specifically how to reduce school exclusions and enhance opportunities for all children and young people in Surrey to have access to full time education.
This event was the culmination of three years of work with Royal Holloway, University of London in collaboration with Surrey County Council and Surrey Police, to commission and conduct research that addresses the issue of permanent school exclusions in Surrey. The Royal Holloway, University of London research team, led by Dr Emily Glorney, collaborated with multiple public and third sector services across the county to address the research issue of how to enhance support for children and young people at risk of exclusion and promote inclusion. The research provided the evidence on which to base decision-making in Surrey.
For the first time in Surrey, data were linked across education, social care, police and youth justice, to form a picture of the complex and multiple needs of children and young people who are permanently excluded from school in the county. The research team identified a higher level of multiple needs among Surrey young people than in comparison to previous national level reports. Permanent exclusion is often referenced as a risk indicator for engaging in criminal behaviour. However, the research team found that children excluded from school and who had youth justice involvement were more likely to have engaged with that service before rather than after exclusion. Children and young people who did get involved with the police for the first time after exclusion were likely to have multiple vulnerabilities, relating to social care and mental health.
The research findings led to several recommendations for partnership working across Surrey, to support children and young people staying in full-time education. As a result, Surrey County Council has made substantial financial investment in: practices relating to decision making about exclusion and supporting pupils to access alternative provision; interventions to support children and young people vulnerable to exclusion; and mental health support for children and young people across the County. Furthermore, greater partnership working has developed, with a new model of working around schools to support children and young people currently under pilot in one area of Surrey.
The Summit reviewed actions taken as a consequence of the evidence-based recommendations of Dr Glorney’s research team report, and established next steps in continuing to good work to reduce permanent school exclusions in Surrey.
