From the Teacher Support Network, www.teachersupport.info.

EXCLUSIONS AND WELLBEING
Stories such as Jamie’s are often in the news

Exclusions, particularly caused by violent behaviour, are often used by commentators to paint a picture of the failing nature of our schools and their inability to control their pupils.

Earlier this week I spoke to a secondary school teacher – let’s call her Sarah – who had been off work for over a month because of stress and depression. There were many causes for her emotional problems, some personal, others professional, but it was one incident in particular that had caused Sarah to reach tipping point.

At the beginning of the year, she’d been warned specifically about one pupil – let’s call him Jamie – who would be joining her class. The school had been aware of significant problems with Jamie’s domestic life for some time but his situation seemed to have taken a turn for the worst the previous year. Jamie was deliberately isolating himself from both teachers and other pupils through aggressive and occasionally violent behaviour, as well as by refusing to engage in any conversation or activities in or outside the classroom. The message being passed to Sarah was clear: expect serious trouble.

Like many of those we speak to, Sarah viewed Jamie’s entry to her class as an opportunity to undertake precisely the kind of work for which she had entered the profession: to help children, particularly those from challenging backgrounds, achieve their aspirations; not merely as a problem to deal with or avoid.

However, as is sometimes the case, Sarah’s widely acknowledged abilities as a teacher and her commitment to her pupils were not enough to prevent a serious incident taking place. Driven to distraction by events at home, Jamie acted inexcusably by attacking and hospitalizing a fellow pupil. The school policy was clear, and he soon found himself expelled.

Sarah had been powerless to prevent the incident, occurring as it did without any provocation or previous escalation. Nevertheless, she was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and a sense of failure. She had not been able to prevent Jamie’s future becoming even bleaker and no longer had the opportunity to try and play a positive role in his life. These feelings were compounded by repeated questioning by senior staff members about the incident, a reminder of the warnings they had given her and a sensation – however imagined – that they were in some way trying to blame her. For the first time, she was worried about her own physical safety at school as well as her responsibilities towards those of her pupils. The return of the injured pupil to class provoked a second wind of anxiety. A few weeks later, and Sarah was describing herself as ‘a nervous wreck’. Shortly afterwards, she was signed off work because of the emotional turmoil the incident had provoked.

Stories such as Jamie’s are often in the news. Exclusions, particularly caused by violent behaviour, are often used by commentators to paint a picture of the failing nature of our schools and their inability to control their pupils. Unfortunately, Sarah’s side of the story is frequently untold. Exclusions are not reflective of poor standards, but of social problems way beyond the control of individual teachers. They are a terrible but sometimes unavoidable measure to protect the wellbeing of both pupils and teachers and the education of other children, but can also have a damaging effect not only on the future of the pupil him or herself, but – as Sarah’s story illustrates - on the emotional health of others in the school community – friends, classmates, parents and teachers.

Sarah describes herself as ‘on the mend’ now and our counsellors are helping her recovery. She is still committed to teaching, although is unsure whether she will be able to return to the school. Hearing her story, it seems clear that a better appreciation of her wellbeing at the time of the expulsion could have played a vital role in preventing her emotional difficulties become so pronounced. However clear her school’s policy on expulsions, an equally sound strategy for helping teachers cope with traumatic episodes is just as vital to both the education of its pupils and the wellbeing of its teachers. It’s a lesson that needs to be learnt across the country – by addressing emotional need as it arises and anticipating the possible consequences of difficult episodes on individuals, schools can help reduce sickness absence, improve the lives of teachers and help ensure they can teach – and help improve the futures – of their pupils.