Agenda item

The Chair invited Coralyn Burge, Senior Manager, Maureen Mckenna, Education Consultant and Nancy Hunt, Principal Policy Officer from the London Violence Reduction Unit (LVRU) to give a presentation (slides available in agenda) on the London Inclusion Charter, which has been developed to improve levels of school attendance. The London Violence reduction unit was set up by the Mayor of London in 2019 to pioneer an approach to tackle violence, rooted in prevention and early intervention.

Members made the following comments:

·       A member requested information on how the LVRU envisage this working in two tier areas.

·       A member highlighted some commissioned research that was carried out in their London borough which highlighted the disproportionally larger percentage of black males who were being excluded and suspended from school. This also increased susceptibility to involvement in crime.

·       It was raised that to reduce the vulnerability and susceptibility of young people to crime, schools should focus on a child-centred approach by internally excluding to allow opportunity for development. To prevent exclusion in the first instance, academics should not be the only focus in schools, to increase inclusivity particularly in Multi-Academy Trusts.

·       The role of vocational education within schools was raised.

·       A member highlighted different groups of young people who are vulnerable, for example care leavers or young people from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background.

·       There was a request for practical solutions to help increase inclusive practice within schools. Another member highlighted that an incentive structure is needed to encourage the uptake of such practical solutions across MATs.

·       It was emphasised that school attendance needed to be reviewed more generally.

·       A member highlighted the need for greater resilience if there were another pandemic.

·       It was raised that violence in families and communities is spilling over into schools and there needed to be an alternative to exclusion which would create a change of behaviour.

Maureen and Coralyn responded to Members comments:

·       Colleagues stipulated that partnership working with a child-centred approach would be the main factor to allow inclusion to be adopted fully, by building strong relationships across two-tier council systems and schools.

·       The LVRU fund culturally competent mentors and youth workers across alternative provision and secondary schools with an increased focus on family support to help tackle the disproportionality in exclusions of young black males.

·       The Charter’s next stage of work includes recognising structural and institutional racism and scoping inclusive practices that could be implemented in schools and MATs to tackle this.

·       The LVRU’s aim is to discover solutions within the existing system that does not increase costs, for instance, a governor with a specialism in inclusion.

·       The importance of vocational education was emphasised in promoting different pathways to better meet the needs of young people.

·       Colleagues highlighted the need for better relational practice and positive ways to include young people to increase attainment in schools and to help address school attendance issues more widely, young people need to feel a sense of belonging and safety in school.

·       The LVRU had begun the development of a programme addressing speech, language and communication needs alongside providing the support families need.

·       Colleagues highlighted the need for better relational practice and positive ways to include young people to increase attainment in schools.

Decision

The Board noted the work being undertaken by the London Violence Reduction Unit and considered how it could be extended to other areas and complement existing council work to increase levels of school attendance. Members agreed that examples of good practice should be shared across the country and asked officers to explore the scope of this.

Action

·       Officers to scope work needed to gather examples of good inclusive practices across the country to be shared more widely.