Zero-exclusion policies in schools risk ruining the life chances of other pupils and may expose them to ‘indignity and harassment’, a government behaviour tzar has warned.
Tom Bennett, lead behaviour adviser to the Department for Education, says exclusions 'are a necessary part' of keeping children safe and ensuring they have a 'safe, dignified' learning environment.
It comes after Labour-run Southwark Council announced this week that it will allow misbehaving pupils to remain in school as long as they do not put another child's safety at risk.
In what is believed to be a UK first, teachers will instead be encouraged to understand the reasons behind the bad behaviour by using a 'trauma-informed response' and to not take it at 'face value.'
