Don’t Exclude Me — a touching lens on challenging schoolchildren

The BBC are bringing a series out looking at distruptive children.

On BBC2 from September 30 at 9pm

The series has a number of scenes from pupil referral units. Including eight-year-old Jack. Jack sitting on his own in the playground while every other kid rushes around having fun. He’s rude to his young teacher, Jade, chanting “boring, boring, boring” at her during lessons.

At one point Jack becomes so disruptive the whole class is evacuated outdoors while he lies in a corner. hiding face and growling behind his hands.

Milton Hall school which the show is following, has three levels of penalty for these exceptionally difficult pupils, including Jack.

1. temporary exclusion from class
2. fixed-term exclusion
3. permanent exclusion

In the school year 2018-19 almost 30,000 pupils were given fixed term exclusions, i.e. level three from a pupil referral unit like Milton hall. The school that has Jack.

The series follows a number of pupils in pupil referral units. The series discusses the enornomity of the challenge dealing with distruptive children,

while more than 500 were permanently excluded by the age of eight.

Milton Hall spends £200,000 a year The Nest for this pupil referral unit.

Jack and fellow disrupters nine-year-old Olivia and six-year-old Oscar can take a time out, but it’s having little effect on them.

Behavioural expert Marie Gentles, who in the show is passionately opposed to permanent exclusions. Marie is the former headteacher of a pupil referral unit so she certainly knows the challenges facing the pupils. Maries has helped devised a system to help troubled children. “It works for every single child, every single time.”

The true cost of exclusion is hard to quantify. Rates of exclusions have doubled over the past two years. 89 per cent of the children concerned are boys. Overwelhming it is a battle with the boys behaviours.

“He’s like a little angel at home,” says Jack’s bewildered mum. It’s distressing to see him crying his eyes out at school. “His feelings are overwhelming,” “I’ve seen many, many Jacks.” Says Marie.

There’s no trigger or pattern, says his exhausted teachers. It is almost randomm; he just kicks off. An odd calming technique his parents have hit on to calm him down gives Gentles a clue. This time she steps in personally with exceptionally firm. Two simple verbal tricks are pretty effective.

On BBC2 from September 30 at 9pm