Exclusion from school is a real problem. It’s a problem for you as a school leader and it’s a far reaching problem for society as a whole; research shows that the cost to the tax payer of an exclusion is not just felt during the period that a student is out of school, it has a lifelong legacy that goes on costing society, individuals and families for many years after. Research suggests that the aggregate costs of all exclusions is in excess of £650 million per annum.

One of our mobile units

Having worked in schools for many years, we understand that exclusion is always a last resort, when every other approach and intervention possible within school has been tried. We would like to offer another option, one that presents a real opportunity for students at risk of exclusion to stay in school and begin to reintegrate themselves back into mainstream education.

What can we offer?

Our team of experienced youth workers and Personal Advisors will come into school with one of our mobile units. Having one of our vehicles parked in the school grounds is a great way of providing some ‘off-site space’ within the school community. Working on our mobile units, we provide accredited group work programmes that enable pupils at risk of exclusion to explore the causes of their disruptive behaviour and to develop realistic and achievable action plans to tackle underlying issues and, where possible, to reintegrate into school life. Along the way, students will gain some important social skills, get a vital boost to their self-esteem and confidence and pick up accreditation and qualifications that they can use to progress.

Our approach is not one that could be taken within a classroom setting or a pupil referral unit. We encourage pupils to involve their families in the programme and our Personal Advisors tackle many difficult practical problems and issues as they arise. Our aims are simple; to get students to work out their best way forward, to understand what is holding them back, make a difference in tackling their issues and barriers, and to change disruptive behaviours. We provide an off-site programme in school, combining the best aspects of informal learning and group work with one to one support and intervention.

Knowing the reasons for behaviour patterns is the key to avoiding exclusions and it is often better explored by non-teaching professionals.
(University of Sussex, 2008)

The average lifetime cost of crime of an excluded child is £15,527
(Fairbridge, 2007)

A place in a pupil referral unit costs more than £15,000 per year
(Fairbridge, 2007)