Over £800,000 spent by Shropshire and Telford councils on problem pupils

Today the Shropshire Star reveals the impact of problem pupils across the county, both in terms of education and cost to the taxpayer.

Pupils expelled from schools could have cost Shropshire's two councils almost £900,000 in the last five years, according to figures obtained by the Shropshire Star.

A total of 224 children aged between five and 16 have been kicked out of primary and secondary schools across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin in that time.

And education chiefs at Telford & Wrekin Council said each expulsion cost an average £4,000.

This means that it could have cost £869,000 to kick problem children out of schools across the two council areas.

Telford & Wrekin Council

• 2010/11 24

• 2011/12 13

• 2012/13 17

• 2013/14 11

Total 65

Shropshire Council

• 2011/2012 31

• 2012/13 33

• 2013/14 37

• 1/9/14 to 15/4/15 29

A spokesman for Shropshire Council said the specific cost of the exclusions within its schools was not held and every case was different and resolved within different timescales.

Education leaders today spoke of the expense caused by kicking a pupil out of school and the upheaval caused to staff.

Both councils refused to provide a breakdown of the individual schools that have expelled pupils in the last five years.

But the figures reflect the problem of disruptive children in the classroom and the efforts by education leaders to deal with them.

Andy Cooke, service delivery manager at corporate parenting and inclusion at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "The funding for permanently excluded pupils, called the 'pupil retention charge', is used as a contribution towards the cost of the education of these children.

"In the first instance children who are permanently excluded will probably attend a pupil referral unit, but this is expensive provision as the ratio of staff to students is much higher than in a mainstream school."

Drugs and alcohol, assaults on staff and other pupils, theft and bullying were just some of the reasons why children were kicked out of schools in Shropshire.

The majority of pupils were removed for persistent disruptive behaviour or verbal abuse or threat to an adult, the figures found.

Christine Hargest. of Shropshire Teachers' Association, stressed that dealing with pupils with behaviour issues could be a "difficult balancing act".

She said staff were often having to deal with bad behaviour, not just in the classroom but to and from school as well.

She said: "This type of issue is always difficult as we can only influence the pupil when they are in the school environment. A lot happens outside of school. Dealing with behaviour issues and educating some pupils can be a difficult balancing act.

"It is generally expected that a school should provide a safe learning environment for the pupils and a safe working environment for the staff.

"Persistently disruptive pupils are a problem for staff and their fellow pupils.

"School staff work tirelessly to resolve these situations.

"Unfortunately there are occasions when interventions do not resolve the situation and it then becomes necessary to remove the pupil from their current education provision in the interests of all concerned.

"Specialist provision to work to resolve the behaviour problems is costly and the pupil also needs support from beyond the education provision to work towards a positive outcome."

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council cabinet member for children's services, said schools are encouraged to use exclusion only as a last resort when other attempts have failed.

She said: "Shropshire Council procedures follow statutory guidance.

"We have a small team who work closely with headteachers and governors to ensure that, where possible, support is in place to avoid the exclusion of a pupil.

"The team also supports the school's decision-making and, where children are excluded, is involved in identifying appropriate alternative provision."

Jim Collins, Telford's assistant director for education and corporate parenting, said: "At Telford & Wrekin Council we have worked closely with our local schools to promote strategies and interventions to reduce the need to exclude pupils on a permanent basis.

"We encourage schools to look at all options and ensure that exclusion is an absolute last resort.

"Our figures have been going down year on year and we are keen that this continues."