Helping them out

Abstract

The exclusion of pupils from mainstream and special schools remains a serious issue in the UK despite various initiatives to reduce both the number and the impact of such exclusions. Among those who are consistently over-represented in the exclusion statistics for England are pupils with special educational needs (SEN) - particularly, but not exclusively, those labelled as having severe emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article, building on recent work for the Department for Education and Employment, reports on the current position in England. In particular it considers ways in which inter-professional collaboration in this field may reinforce (rather than challenge) certain discursive practices and thus increase (rather than reduce) the number of formal and informal exclusions. It argues that these stronger, more resilient forms of social power can still be resisted if professionals seek ways of disrupting each other's practice.