Representatives from Ofsted, unions and local authorities were today questioned about alternative provision by MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee.
Here are seven key points:
1. The fragmentation of the school system can increase exclusions
Sue Morris-King, a senior HMI at Ofsted, said there was a variation in the rates of children being excluded in similar schools in different areas. She said that the fragmentation of the schools system in some areas was sometimes a factor in the number of pupils being excluded.
2. Fair access panels can reduce permanent exclusions
Stuart Gallimore, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, told MPs that fair access panels, where headteachers have to justify permanent exclusions to other local headteachers who would have to pick them up in their schools, reduce the number of permanent exclusions.
He said such panels led to fixed term exclusions, which allowed the child’s case to be considered.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, told MPs there needed to be an “honest broker” to challenge headteachers’ decisions about excluding pupils, suggesting local authorities could do this.
3. Ofsted is “strongly challenging” evidence of off-rolling
Sue Morris-King, of Ofsted, said its inspectors “strongly challenge” schools when they see evidence of pupils being off-rolled, and it will be taken into account in the final inspection judgement.
4. Ofsted inspectors are being trained in off-rolling
Ms Morris-King told the MPs that Ofsted has includes off-rolling in its recent training of all of its inspectors.
5. There were proposals to limit schools’ use of unregistered alternative provision
MPs on the committee raised concerns about the number of pupils being educated in un-registered alternative provision. Ms Morris-King, of Ofsted, raised the idea of preventing schools from putting pupils in unregistered alternative provision for more than two days a week.
6. Children are being placed in alternative provision for four years or longer
Ms Morris-King said Ofsted is seeing cases where children are in alternative provision for the long-term, rather than it leading to them being reintegrated into mainstream education. She said some children had been in alternative provision for three or four years or longer.
7. Ofsted recognises that full PRUs are causing problems
Ms Morris-King reiterated concerns raised at previous hearings that in some areas pupil referral units are now full. She said that because some PRU were now full of children that had been permanently excluded, they were unable to help children who needed short-term places.
