Exclusions In Cambridgeshire Schools

30 July 2010, 06:00

Bad behaviour in Cambridgeshire's classrooms has led to 105 children being permanently expelled from school with a further 734 occasions when a child has been temporarily removed from class.

The new figures are from the Government - which overall, show 80,000 children have been suspended from school across the UK, for attacking class-mates or teachers.

Teachers at one school in Cambridgeshire believe children can be given their own responsibility to adjust their behaviour.

The Thomas Deacon School in Peterborough bring together younger people of which in some cases have never met each other before - and help them understand that they don't have to be a bully to be "cool".

Teaching staff have told Heart, that in the three years since the programme, called Harmony Camp was introduced, bullying has been reduced dramatically (1000 fewer cases, that's a cut of around 40% per year).

Paige Richards helps run the respect classes at the school and told us "I wasn't a very nice person before I went on Harmony Camp.

But I was given responsibility for not only for improving my own actions but those of other young people in school - many from different years and many I'd never met before.

It's helped me realise that teachers are not there just to tell us off, but to help us and prepare us for the future and give us hope for being ready to go to work".

The Deparment for Education says in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in 2008-9 (latest figures) 105 pupils were permanently suspended for bad behaviour and 734 were temporarily excluded.

* There were also 910 physical assaults against another pupil

* 192 physical assaults against an adult

* 188  verbal abuse or threats against a pupil

* 979 verbal abuse or threats towards an adult

* 65 official cases of bullying

* 74 cases of racial abuse

* 98 cases of damage

* 106 thefts