Exploring the Impact of School Exclusions on Children and Families

This project is based on my MSc Social Work dissertation, where I explored how school exclusions affect children and their families, and what kinds of support can reduce harm and improve outcomes. The work combined academic research with the lived experiences of parents, carers and professionals.

All examples are anonymised and details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

Project overview

The starting point for the dissertation was a simple question: what really happens to children and families when a child is excluded from school, and how do services respond?

I was particularly interested in:

• The emotional impact of exclusion on children and their sense of identity and belonging
• How exclusion affects everyday family life, routines and relationships
• The role of schools, local authorities and other services in either widening or reducing inequalities

Aims of the research

The project had four main aims.

1. To understand how children and families experience both fixed-term and permanent exclusions
2. To explore how professionals understand and respond to behaviour that leads to exclusion
3. To identify what support feels helpful or unhelpful to families at these times
4. To consider what social workers and schools might do differently in practice

Method

The study used a small qualitative approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews and review of existing research and policy.

• I interviewed parents and carers who had supported a child through exclusion
• I spoke with professionals from education and social care about their perspectives
• I analysed policy and guidance around behaviour, attendance and exclusion

The focus was on depth and meaning rather than statistics.

Key themes

Several themes emerged from the research.

1. Loss, shame and uncertainty
   Families described exclusion as a shock and a loss. Children often felt labelled as the problem, and parents described feeling judged rather than supported.

2. Impact on daily life
   Exclusion disrupted routines, work, finances and relationships. Parents sometimes had to reduce hours or leave jobs. Siblings were also affected by changes at home.

3. Differences in response
   Some schools and professionals were experienced as listening, flexible and creative. Others relied more quickly on exclusion and offered limited alternatives or support.

4. Importance of relationships
   Where staff took time to build relationships with children and parents, outcomes were often better, even when behaviour remained challenging.

5. Structural factors
   Poverty, special educational needs, discrimination and unmet mental health needs shaped the context in which behaviour and exclusion occurred.

Implications for practice

The study suggested several implications for social work and wider practice.

• Early, relationship-based support can sometimes prevent situations escalating to exclusion
• Social workers can help schools see the wider context of a child’s behaviour, not just the incident in front of them
• Multi-agency planning that includes parents and children can reduce feelings of blame and increase shared ownership of solutions
• Advocacy may be needed to ensure children’s rights and needs are heard in school processes

Personal learning

Working on this dissertation changed the way I think about school-based work in social care.

I learned that:

• Exclusion is rarely a single event; it is usually the result of many smaller moments where support could have been different
• Families often carry a lot of unrecognised stress and grief around education
• Social workers can play a key bridging role between home, school and services if we take time to listen and understand each side

Looking ahead

In my current practice, this project continues to influence how I approach education issues. I try to:

• Ask more detailed questions about school experiences in assessments
• Involve schools early when I am worried about attendance or behaviour
• Think about how exclusion may be affecting a child’s identity, friendships and mental health
• Remember that families often need both emotional support and practical help when education breaks down

In a future blog post I hope to share some of the tools and questions that grew out of this research, in case they are useful for other students, practitioners and families.