VIRTUAL EVENT: What if… we wanted a better deal for pupils at risk of exclusion?

What are the limits and possibilities for better serving the young people who ‘mainstream’ schools struggle to accommodate? And what radical changes would transform their experience of education and their trajectories as adults?

England is distinctive in having a long tail of young people whose educational attainment is low. Regrettably, for these pupils the use of off-rolling and exclusions are also notable features of our schools system – compounding the likelihood of poor educational outcomes and poor life chances. 

Sat behind these practices and outcomes are a range of pressures. For schools this includes the narrowing of the curriculum as well as sharper accountability levers and funding cuts.

For pupils it can include a challenging home life and the growing mental health burden among young people, not to mention particular threats such as gang activity and county lines recruitment.  

The scope for the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown to worsen these risks is already clear.   

In this debate, leading experts and practitioners will share their views and insights on this topic.

Speakers

• Geoff Barton, General Secretary, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) 
• Kiran Gill, Founder and CEO, The Difference
• Seamus Oates, CEO and Founder, TBAP Multi-Academy Trust
• Stuart Lock, Chief Executive Officer, Advantage Schools
• Chair: William Stewart, News Editor, Tes

Find out more about the speakers of this debate. Join the conversation on Twitter at #IOEDebates 

Links

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• The IOE Public Debates series

Image: Can Anh Khai via StockSnap