The cost of school exclusion in England

Abstract

Legislation in England and Wales since 1986 has sanctioned the permanent exclusion from school of pupils deemed disruptive. This punitive step has costs attached, which rise each year as the numbers excluded increase. This paper is mostly devoted to developing and applying a model to estimate the costs to public services of school exclusion in England. It also provides some illustrative cost data on the inclusion of behaviourally challenging pupils, explores policy alternatives to exclusion and argues that cost data provide valuable information in debate about policy options. Based on data gathered for the Commission for Racial Equality, the paper considers the costs to the full range of agencies involved when a child or young person is permanently excluded from school. Costs related to individuals vary hugely, but the average costs to education are high—double normal mainstream education—for less than 10 per cent of a full‐time education in the first year of exclusion. The costs to other agencies, particularly the police, are high. It is estimated that the cost in England of permanently excluded pupils in 1995/96 were approximately £71 million, and in 1996/97 over £81 million. As well as actual costs associated with permanent exclusions from school, consideration must be given to the returns on that expenditure. Currently the returns are poor, and the longer‐term costs may be high if continued full‐time education is not assured for young people to equip them to become citizens.