School exclusions, alternative provision and later life outcomes
This project explores the extent to which approaches to removing disruptive pupils from schools affect their education, labour market, justice, and health outcomes. Permanent exclusion is the strongest sanction a school can impose on a young person. It is a punitive measure has been linked to negative effects on educational attainment, employment, youth custody, and mental health. Research has typically focused on inequalities whereby certain groups are disproportionately likely to be excluded, or on correlational evidence that identified wide ranging negative outcomes of exclusion. However, there has been a lack of research examining the causal relationship between outcomes and exclusions. This project seeks to address this by using quasi-experimental methods to understand the causal impact on: education, employment, justice and health outcomes. It will assess managed moves as an alternative to permanent exclusion and, for excluded pupils, investigate what is the impact of attending an alternative provision school compared to remaining in a mainstream school. Throughout, we will consider variation according to pupil characteristics, particularly special educational needs.
Outputs
Funder
Nuffield Foundation