The Process of Permanent Exclusion and Implementation of ‘Fresh Start’ Programmes

Summary This research focused on the process of permanent exclusion and returning pupils up to and including Year 9 back into mainstream schools on ‘Fresh Start’ programmes. The principal purpose of the research was to gather information about permanently excluded pupils and to offer advice to key persons within the LEA so that a policy could be produced for schools. In this way it is expected that a standardised high quality procedure can be implemented across the county for pupils restarting in different mainstream schools. Significant differences were identified, in respect of the amount of appropriate support given to pupils experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties, between schools which permanently excluded the pupils studied and those which received them. Low‐level criminality developed within the older pupils during the ‘out‐of‐school’ phase immediately following permanent exclusion.