When a school decides to exclude a child, it can be a very challenging and uncertain time, not only for the child or young person, but also for their parents and carers.
To help support families through the process, Warwickshire County Council have been working in partnership with The University of Warwick, Bailey Wright and Co Solicitors and Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice to create a resource families can use to better understand the law and their rights.
Working together with students volunteering with Warwick Law in the Community (LinC), an independent legal information resource in the form of a video has been created to help parents, guardians and carers to understand what school exclusions are, how to prevent them through early intervention and what to expect.
This fantastic new resource will be officially launched at the University of Warwick on Monday 5 December. As part of the event, key stakeholders including schools, Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice, partners and elected members will be able to see the video and ask questions to the panel members about how the resource can be used to better support families and schools. All those attending will be encouraged to share the resource with families who may be experiencing issues and need some additional guidance and support.
Dr Tara Mulqueen, Co-Director, Warwick Law in the Community, said:
"We believe it's vital that people have access to information about their rights and resources that can help to support them in dealing with difficult situations and the practical challenges that might arise. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with WCC, WPCV and Bailey Wright & Co Solicitors to create an accessible resource that we hope will help to promote inclusion in schools, and empower parents, carers and young people."
Elaine Lambe of Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice said:
“We were really excited to be approached about producing this film as we know that families find the experience of their children being excluded (or under the threat of exclusion) challenging. We hope that this resource will help families understand how the process should happen and give them the guidance they need to challenge unlawful practice”
Councillor Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for education, said:
“We know that children and young people who are excluded from school either permanently or for a fixed period are likely to be adversely impacted and this impacts upon their academic outcomes as well as their mental health and wellbeing.
“Working with our partners we are proud to be launching an independent resource to help parents and carers to understand the law and address any difficulties their child may be experiencing at school before an exclusion is even considered.
“Our thanks go out to all partners involved, but particularly to the students volunteering with Warwick Law for creating such a fantastic resource for us to share with families and schools across Warwickshire.”
View the video here
For more information on school exclusions visit - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion or https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/attendanceandexclusions