Black pupils 'excluded for longer'

More support units are being created

Schools are in danger of giving the impression that they treat black pupils more harshly than white pupils for similar offences, the schools watchdog has said.

In a survey of 10 secondary schools with high levels of absenteeism, the Office for Standards in Education in England (Ofsted) found that some treated black pupils more harshly than white in a way which seemed "inconsistent".

The length of fixed-period exclusions varied considerably in some schools between black and white pupils for what were described as the same or similar incidents

Ofsted report

The investigation was commissioned by the government in response to a report on truancy written in 1998.

It also suggested that good teaching and consistent disciplinary procedures were the keys to cutting truancy and bad behaviour.

In his annual report, published earlier this month, Ofsted's chief inspector, Mike Tomlinson, detected the first overall rise in unruly behaviour for several years.

For years, teenagers from African-Caribbean backgrounds have been more likely to be expelled than other ethnic groups but, the new Ofsted report said, this persisted.

Variable exclusions

"The length of fixed-period exclusions varied considerably in some schools between black and white pupils for what were described as the same or similar incidents," the report said.

"While it does not follow that schools treated pupils differently because of their ethnicity, they certainly could leave both pupils and parents with the impression that they had done so."

Few schools had developed the confidence to discuss such issues straightforwardly, the report suggested.

Some teachers in the schools surveyed "clearly found the self-confidence, apparent or otherwise, of some black Caribbean boys particularly intimidating", the report added.

Racism?

Mr Tomlinson was asked at a news conference whether he thought racism was at work.

"I'm not arguing against that concept I'm simply saying we don't know," he said.

"What is clear is that particularly black pupils and their parents do think that in some ways they're being treated unfairly.

"What needs to be dealt with is that question - are they or are they not being treated unfairly.

"And that requires the school to be confident to discuss these issues within the teaching community and, more importantly, with the parents and pupils involved."

Attendance and behaviour

The report also found that boys generally were four times more likely to be expelled than girls.

And 66% of permanent exclusions in the schools surveyed involved younger teenagers, aged 13 to 15.

Schools serving communities with high levels of unemployment sometimes struggle to foster a culture of regular attendance

Ofsted report

Ofsted inspectors said that good standards of teaching were the best incentive for encouraging pupils to attend school.

Seven of the 10 schools surveyed were making progress in improving behaviour and attendance, Ofsted said, with those seven realising that behaviour and attendance rates were linked.

They had strong anti-bullying policies in place which involved the youngsters in discussing and tackling the problem, the report said.

Ofsted said that 100 secondary schools were responsible for 10% of all expulsions.

A "common feature" was that they often took in pupils who had been expelled from another school and who tended not to settle well and went on to be excluded again.

"Schools serving communities with high levels of unemployment sometimes struggle to foster a culture of regular attendance particularly where parents do not give schooling a high priority," the report suggested.

More support

In response, education ministers have said that the number of in-school "learning support units" for disruptive youngsters has increased to 1,000 a year ahead of schedule.

The government was putting £131m this year into trying to cut truanting and improve discipline in the classroom, rising to £174m next year, said the Schools Minister, Jacqui Smith.

"We recognise that improving behaviour also means better attention to teaching - as Mike Tomlinson said in his annual report, the worst behaviour often begins to surface in the early years of secondary school.

"We intend to tackle that with a programme to improve standards, particularly for 11 to 14-year-olds.

'Truancy busters'

"We also intend to improve greatly the opportunities for those over 14 to take vocational programmes, including GCSEs and apprenticeships."

Ms Smith also congratulated 50 schools which have received awards for reducing truancy.

The top three primary, secondary and special schools will each receive £10,000 and the remainder of the schools £8,000.

"Through their hard work and commitment, these schools have been able to reduce truancy and improve their overall level of attendance, often under very challenging circumstances," she said.

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The 10 schools inspected by Ofsted were:

• Benfield, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Bishop Thomas Grant, London Borough of Lambeth
• Coppersfield College, Leeds
• Ducie High, Manchester
• King George V, South Tyneside
• Lees Brook Community, Derby
• The McEntee, London Borough of Waltham Forest
• The Queen Elizabeth High, Rochdale
• Rosebridge High, Wigan
• Whalley Range High, Manchester.