Carol Hayden was a teacher in mainstream schools for some ten years before taking up a research appointment at the SSRIU (Social Services Research and Information Unit) at the University of Portsmouth in 1989. Her own two children were of primary school age during the period of field research.

* Why are there increasing numbers of children being excluded from primary schools?
* What are the characteristics and circumstances (home and school) of children excluded from primary school?
* What can be done to reduce and possibly eliminate exclusion from school?
There can be no more serious sanction taken against a child of primary school age than exclusion from school. We can only speculate upon the likely adverse long-term consequences of such an action, as exclusion from primary school was rarely recorded in previous decades. In this book, Carol Hayden explores the policy context in which exclusions are happening and presents evidence from a two year, ESRC funded national research project on the issue. Accounts from parents and carers, some of the excluded children, as well as teachers form a central part of the research evidence. Possible responses to exclusion from the education service and other agencies are considered. The book provides evidence about what is happening, as well as some insight into why exclusion is happening with a view to informing practical responses to the issue. It will be vital reading for anyone concerned with the problem of exclusions and will be of particular interest to teachers, educational psychologists, education welfare officers and social workers.

Preface

Part one: The debates

The context
markets, institutions, families and individuals
Research about exclusion from school

Part two: The evidence

National and local authority data
The case studies of excluded children
Exclusion
the view from home
Exclusion
the view from school

Part three: The responses

What can education service based initiatives do?
What can agencies outside the education service contribute?
Conclusions
Bibliography
Index.