Children in Hackney are 65% more likely than the London average to be excluded from school
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Parents in Hackney met with charities and policymakers last night to address the Borough’s sky-high exclusion rates. The meeting was organised by Hackney REP, a network of charities founded to improve Hackney’s education policy.
Young people in Hackney are 65% more likely to be excluded than the London average, whilst the Borough has recorded the worst suspension rates in London since 2006.
Isla Rain, an influencer from Hackney, was excluded from school when she was eight years old.
She told City News, “my schooling was really bad. I went to four schools. The system failed me.
I have autism… People who are on the spectrum don’t get heard, it doesn’t make you feel human.”
Children with special educational needs (SEND) are five times more likely to be excluded from school. Pupils with SEND not receiving support increased by 50% last year.
There are also concerning racial disparities within Hackney’s exclusion rates. Pupils from Black Caribbean heritage are excluded at a rate four times higher than their White British peers.
Parents and formerly excluded pupils joined a panel during the discussion. They expressed their frustration with the behaviour of Hackney’s schools and doubted the effectiveness of Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), where pupils are sent after they have been excluded from mainstream education.
Allison Vitalis, of Hackney Rep, chaired the meeting last night.
“Inclusion, not exclusion, is what we need to be working on”
Rhy, a former teacher who now leads Beta Minds, a Hackney-based charity that supports young people, also doubts the benefits of PRUs.
She told City news, “inclusion, not exclusion, is what we need to be working on.”
Rhy was excluded from school when she was a pupil and taught in PRUs as a teacher. She, like many others in attendance last night, want a constructive shift in school behaviour policies.
“I spent a lot of my teaching career in PRUs. They are a breeding ground for behaviours that pupils never experienced in the first place.
But I have worked in alternative provisions that have been fantastic and tailored their work to the needs of the individual pupil.”
Taking action
Isla displays many traits in her job as a self-employed influencer that her schools did not think she had.
She said, “You have to be incredibly disciplined and put a solid structure in place… I feel like I’ve got way more skills than someone in school.
I didn’t have the things in place to get my GCSEs but I’m still successful and I’m on a journey.”
Isla’s advice to young people on the brink of being excluded is “to do your best and leave the rest.”
Break-out groups worked together to write down their experiences of the Hackney education system.
Rhy says the solution lies in greater community oversight of schooling. To achieve this, she hopes policymakers listen to parents and activists more.
“A lot of what is coming out of this meeting is from people on the ground – we have a lot of knowledge of what is going on.
Being invited into conversations with the Government would allow them to address some of the issues [being seen].
We’ve gone past the need for conversations and its time for action.”
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HeadlineHackney locals gather to address sky-high school exclusion rates
Short HeadlineHackney community demands action on school exclusions
StandfirstParents, pupils, charities and policymakers gathered to discuss the scale of exclusions and the alternatives on offer.
Parents in Hackney met with charities and policymakers last night to address the Borough’s sky-high exclusion rates. The meeting was organised by Hackney REP, a network of charities founded to improve Hackney’s education policy.
Young people in Hackney are 65% more likely to be excluded than the London average, whilst the Borough has recorded the worst suspension rates in London since 2006.
Isla Rain, an influencer from Hackney, was excluded from school when she was eight years old.
She told City News, “my schooling was really bad. I went to four schools. The system failed me.
I have autism… People who are on the spectrum don’t get heard, it doesn’t make you feel human.”
Children with special educational needs (SEND) are five times more likely to be excluded from school. Pupils with SEND not receiving support increased by 50% last year.
There are also concerning racial disparities within Hackney’s exclusion rates. Pupils from Black Caribbean heritage are excluded at a rate four times higher than their White British peers.
Parents and formerly excluded pupils joined a panel during the discussion. They expressed their frustration with the behaviour of Hackney’s schools and doubted the effectiveness of Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), where pupils are sent after they have been excluded from mainstream education.
Allison Vitalis, of Hackney Rep, chaired the meeting last night.
“Inclusion, not exclusion, is what we need to be working on”
Rhy, a former teacher who now leads Beta Minds, a Hackney-based charity that supports young people, also doubts the benefits of PRUs.
She told City news, “inclusion, not exclusion, is what we need to be working on.”
Rhy was excluded from school when she was a pupil and taught in PRUs as a teacher. She, like many others in attendance last night, want a constructive shift in school behaviour policies.
“I spent a lot of my teaching career in PRUs. They are a breeding ground for behaviours that pupils never experienced in the first place.
But I have worked in alternative provisions that have been fantastic and tailored their work to the needs of the individual pupil.”
Taking action
Isla displays many traits in her job as a self-employed influencer that her schools did not think she had.
She said, “You have to be incredibly disciplined and put a solid structure in place… I feel like I’ve got way more skills than someone in school.
I didn’t have the things in place to get my GCSEs but I’m still successful and I’m on a journey.”
Isla’s advice to young people on the brink of being excluded is “to do your best and leave the rest.”
Break-out groups worked together to write down their experiences of the Hackney education system.
Rhy says the solution lies in greater community oversight of schooling. To achieve this, she hopes policymakers listen to parents and activists more.
“A lot of what is coming out of this meeting is from people on the ground – we have a lot of knowledge of what is going on.
Being invited into conversations with the Government would allow them to address some of the issues [being seen].
We’ve gone past the need for conversations and its time for action.”
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