CUMBRIAN SCHOOL EXCLUSIONS FALL

29th July 2010

The number of children being permanently excluded from schools in Cumbria has fallen by around 50%.

18 high school students were told they couldn't go back to their schools between 2008 and 2009 - compared to 34 the previous year.

Two children were permanently banned from their primary schools.

All exclusions, both permanent and fixed term, in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Cumbria dropped significantly in 2008/09.

Figures released by the Department for Education today (July 29th) saw 18 permanent exclusions in Cumbria's maintained secondary schools compared with 34 in 2007/08; a drop of 53%. There were only two permanent exclusions in the county's primary schools in the 2008/09 academic year. That represents 0.005% of the Cumbria primary school population and a drop of 50% from 2007/08.

The number of fixed term, or temporary, secondary school exclusions was 2,598 - down from 3,050 in 2007/08.

There were 202 fixed term exclusions in primary schools in 2008/09 compared with 250 the previous year.

There were no exclusions, either permanent or fixed term, in special schools in the county in 2008/09 compared with 10 fixed term the year before.

The new figures continue Cumbria's substantial year-on-year reductions in the number of exclusions in its schools and mean the county continues to be significantly below the national average on both fixed term and permanent exclusions.

Cllr Duncan Fairbairn, Cumbria County Council's Cabinet member responsible for schools and learning, said:

"Cumbria is continuing to perform well in this area. The impressive results are thanks to an innovative and effective approach involving good working arrangements between schools and the work of our reintegration officers and others. Our schools work together in their 'behaviour partnership' consortia to address the issue and take a proactive approach to behavioural problems before they get out of hand. An ounce of prevention is often worth a pound of cure, and that's often the case in behavioural management."