Grant, Minoushe;
(2024)
What are the current processes for the reintegration of students that have been suspended from secondary schools across two London boroughs?
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
The number of school suspensions has been increasing, and Department for Education (DfE) figures show that it disproportionately affects students with special educational needs (SEN) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds compared to their peers without these characteristics. Recently, the DfE updated its guidance on exclusions to include further instructions on the reintegration process for suspended pupils. However, this guidance is still limited and not mandatory. This study is significant as it examines the reintegration process of suspended students at secondary schools. It also explores the strengths required to successfully reintegrate suspended students into school and the challenges faced by secondary schools. This study was conducted in two London boroughs using a multimethod approach. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from a school staff questionnaire (N = 15) and an Educational Psychologist (EP) questionnaire (N = 21). Exclusion data from both boroughs provided context for interpreting the findings. The study found inconsistencies in reintegration processes across and within schools. Significant findings included reintegration meetings not being consistently held if parents/carers could not attend, a large variability in the length of times reintegration meetings lasted and information sharing following the reintegration were inconsistent. Schools with some of the highest suspension figures were found to rate themselves lower in fostering a sense of belonging with their students during their reintegration meetings. The schools that had a marked decrease in suspensions were found to have weekly meetings to discuss support for students who were at risk of exclusion. A significant barrier to successfully reintegrating suspended students was reported by school staff as being a student and home disengagement. EPs reported that schools with relational approaches and an inclusive school ethos were key to supporting the reintegration of suspended students. School staff and EPs supported the suggestion of introducing a DfE reintegration policy to ensure consistency and support schools, provided it was flexible and based on evidence. Recommendations are summarised with the aim of improving reintegration practice in secondary schools.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | What are the current processes for the reintegration of students that have been suspended from secondary schools across two London boroughs? |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10196853 |
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