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All secondary schools will be forced by law to take in pupils that their neighbouring schools exclude, the education secretary announced yesterday.

Under the law, schools will form a collective called a "behaviour partnership" in every neighbourhood. Permanently excluded pupils will have to be replaced with a student expelled from a school nearby in the collective under a "one out, one in" policy.

Balls told teachers at the NASUWT union conference in Birmingham he wanted the law passed "at the earliest opportunity". He said the partnerships would help schools decide how best to deal with the worst behaved pupils in their areas. They would guarantee every technique was tried to keep the most unruly pupils in education and not over-burden some schools with more than their fair share of misbehaviour.

At present local authorities tell schools with spare places to take excluded pupils, but some schools get round this by saying they do not have the resources.

Balls's announcement was made on the back of recommendations in a government-commissioned report - also published yesterday - by Sir Alan Steer, headteacher of Seven Kings High, a comprehensive in Ilford, Essex.

Balls told teachers: "All secondary schools should work in partnership to manage poor behaviour. Clusters of schools in a local area could pool their resources and expertise to deal with problem pupils." Early intervention by a collective of schools would prevent "young people going off the rails".

Balls said 90% of academies and 97% of schools were already in these collectives. But all needed to belong to ensure their success wasn't undermined.

Steer said: "There shouldn't be a perverse incentive for schools. If they exclude a child they should expect to take one on. They might also take on an excluded pupil over and above that. A school that permanently excludes a child should expect to receive a permanently excluded child on the principle of 'one out, one in'."

Referral units - for the worst behaved pupils - academies and foundation schools will join partnerships. Only schools in special measures will be exempt.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, and John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said they supported the law.

Related Tags :

• General
• Behaviour Management
• Secondary Schools

Last Edited Date : March 27 2008 10:53 am