Attendance and exclusion

Looked after children are over six times more likely to be excluded from school than those in the non-looked-after population.

The Scottish Government recognises that looked after children and young people run a high risk of being excluded, and may need more support than others in coping with the effects of exclusion.

‘Included, Engaged and Involved - Part 1’ states: ‘It is important to support pupils who have been excluded to maintain their learning while absent and to catch up with their learning on returning to school, to avoid pupils struggling and feeling further disengaged from school, which may lead to more absence to avoid this. This is particularly important in the case of looked after children, who are more likely to be excluded and consequently may have experienced interrupted learning and who may require additional tuition and support to enable them to make up lost ground.

'The decision to exclude a looked after child should be considered carefully in partnership with multi-agency partners wherever possible. In line with its corporate parent duty, if a looked after pupil is excluded the school should ensure that multi-agency partners are informed to ensure appropriate planning is in place and supports provided both for the period of the exclusion and to facilitate a smooth return to the school in due course.’

Within the context of promoting positive behaviour and improving relationships, exclusion from school should be a last resort, when all other alternatives have failed. We know that young people who are excluded can easily drift to the margins of school, and then to the margins of society. As frequently happens with any non-attenders, those who are excluded lose their engagement with learning and have increased likelihood of leaving school and not going on to further education, employment or training.  

The Scottish Government is committed to developing, in partnership with local government, new guidance on exclusion. The guidance will be 'Included, Engaged and Involved - Part 2: Management of exclusion in Scottish schools'. This will review and revise the current guidance, Exclusion from Schools in Scotland: Guidance to Education Authorities Circular 8/03.

It will enable linkages between exclusion and achievement to be explored, and will specifically address the needs of our most vulnerable children and families, including those young people who are looked after away from home and those with additional support needs. The guidance will be based within the context of promoting positive behaviour, personal care and support, individual learning planning and a flexible curriculum, and supporting children and young people in accessing education.