Truancy and exclusions tackled in Darlington schools

Temporary exclusions and truancy have also reduced dramatically thanks to new ways of dealing with the problem.
The area’s schools had the worst record for permanent exclusions in the country in 2006/07, with 47 children from seven schools being expelled.
Since then every secondary school has opened its own internal unit for dealing with pupils who are in danger of exclusion.
If pupils are suspended, instead of being sent home they are now taught within the school’s own internal unit and away from other pupils.
This alone has seen the number of temporary exclusions fall by more than 50 per cent in the last academic year.
So far in 2008/09, just 19 pupils have been permanently excluded.
The local authority has also started working with primary schools to improve behaviour and providing counselling to children and families if they need it.
Darlington council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Chris McEwan, said: “We knew we had to improve our record on exclusions. Our aim is to have no children excluded from school – that is the ideal.”
The council is also working to improve truancy figures through competitions to encourage children to attend school, and meeting with parents of children with bad attendance to set up an action plan.