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Pupils that provide challenge are not deranged, nor are they ‘disturbed’. But they are dis-illusioned and disaffected.
So many of them have been abused; socially, emotionally, physically. It is with good reason that they do not trust adults.
But none are irredeemable nor are they ‘unteachable’.
The solution to their inclusion is simple. If they are actively engaged in class they will not disrupt. This is not a flippant remark it is fact.
The skill is in getting them engaged and that’s where the real problem lies. There are not enough skilled staff in schools to facilitate the transition, so it is easier to offload. Over the last two years the island’s educational inclusion service has been decimated, chiefly through poor management, leaving schools and these pupils bereft of support.
This group of challenging pupils are a wasted resource, academically. Yes, they are vulnerable but they do not want your pity, they want to be understood. Their very non-conformity should be seen as an asset, instead they are viewed as a blight, in the classroom and beyond. Many see them as ‘ne’er do wells’, destined only for a life of crime. Another myth. There are numerous examples of these very pupils achieving great things.
Pictured: It is a myth that such children are destined for a life of crime.
I have worked closely with pupils that, as adults, are now dentists, nutritionists, business owners, self-employed. One very challenging pupil for whom the whole referral system did very little, is now a high flyer in the finance industry, gaining a degree using their own initiative. Many did not ‘settle’ until they left full-time education (much credit has to go to Highlands) but it begs the question of why then and not before? Is it simply down to maturity or perhaps it is the way they are handled.
The expectation whilst in full-time education was that they will disrupt and that they will fail. They did not disappoint. In the private schools sector ‘difficult’ pupils are usually asked to leave, with the States schools having to pick up the pieces. Yet even at their worst all these pupils have aspirations, to fit into society, to be successful. They just do not know how.
Ask any teenager what they want to do when they leave school and most will say ‘I dunno’. It’s not that they lack ambition or have no aspirations. They really do not know. How many of us in our youth knew what we wanted to be when we were ‘grown up’? And for those that did, how many ended up doing what they aspired to at that time?
Pictured: Many children go on to achieve success in their careers, despite early difficulties with academic life.
Where full-time education has got it wrong, for as long as I can remember, is slavishly following an academic curriculum, principally at upper-secondary level. It does not meet the needs, ambitions, aspirations of many teenagers. These children do not want to go to ‘uni’. They want to work, to express their skill set and develop those skills at which they are confident with. Practical, hands on, sport, drama, music, working with people, IT. This does not mean that these pupils are dumb. In fact, the opposite is generally the case. There is a correlation between a child’s innate ability and the degree of difficulty observed.
Elections are on the way and we need more ‘characters’ not the same old faceless, grey suits. These pupils are our innovators, our ‘blue-sky’ thinkers, our wealth creators.
In the 1990s I created the longest running integration project in the UK, buddying up mainstream pupils with pupils that had severe learning difficulties. It attracted much attention across the country. One interesting aside was that the most challenging pupils from the mainstream were often the best at working with their SLD peers. In this environment, personalities, patience and perseverance were required. A number of these pupils went on to careers working with the vulnerable in society.
At one point, a large pupil referral unit to house 80-plus pupils was under consideration on the island. Now it would seem that smaller, ‘on-site’ units are being touted. Most state schools had these up until 2014, with the most difficult pupils farmed out to La Sente. Corralling them all in a purpose-built building at the far end of the play ground is not being inclusive. The pupils contained within will still feel ostracised and will rebel.
Pictured: La Sente's current KS4 building.
What is required is a pedagogy that engages and enthuses. It may seem counter-intuitive, but they do not need taming, they need freedom, taught using a guided heuristic approach.
Integrate them into mainstream lessons, maybe with supervision and possibly for only a few lessons a week at the start. Crucial to success is involving the pupil, not with a carrot and stick approach, but empowering them. Having individual learning plans is important, getting all staff to buy into them is essential.
Whatever the inclusion review recommends, for it to function properly will require proper resourcing, involve detailed diagnostics and support that put the needs of each child first. It’s a tough ask but do-able.
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