Public Sector Network Tender Alert

 

Focus groups – School Exclusions Inquiry

This research project is designed to inform the second year of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s School Exclusions Inquiry. The report “They Never Give Up On You” published in March 2012, uncovered evidence of illegality in the practice of some schools, as well as confirming the enduring existence of glaring inequalities for some excluded children and young people within the education system. The report is available on our website: http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/content/publications/content_561 This second year of work will now focus on two areas that stood out in the original report and from the evidence gathered, these are: • Inequalities, and • Illegal exclusions Through the focus groups we are interested in understanding the differing experiences of the teaching profession and those who work in schools with the cohort most likely to suffer inequality and exclusions, children and young people with the following characteristics: • Boys • Special Educational Needs; • specific ethnic groups; • low income backgrounds; We want to understand the factors that influence decision making including training, ethos, budgetary, leadership etc that appear to impact greatly on equality and exclusion practices. What is it that creates an institution that provides exemplary practice while another does not? The Office of the Children’s Commissioner will use these research findings to heighten awareness of inequalities within education and what can be done to change this, and highlight illegal practice with an aim to produce a methodology to track excluded pupils. The second year of this Inquiry aims to change the behaviour and influence the decision making processes of professionals and policy makers. The findings of this research will inform the Children’s Commissioner and Project Team, and the recommendations made in the final School Exclusions Inquiry report, in relation to improving practice in education concerning inequalities and illegal exclusions.

Ref: ref 10,

Contact:

Office of the Children's Commissioner
33 Greycoat Street,London
SW1P 2QF
Douglas Smith
020 7783 8330
procurement.mailbox@childrenscommissioner.gsi.gov.uk
020 7931 7544

Contract value: 10000.00 - 20000.00GBP

Published: 22 Oct 2012, Receipt by: 5 Nov 2012