I am the Headteacher of Educational Diversity, a diverse Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in Blackpool, supporting young people unable to access mainstream education due to their behavioural, medical, social or emotional needs.
The majority of young people within our PRU have presented with some significant challenging behaviours within their mainstream settings, resulting in either permanent exclusion or a managed move, along with others who are referred into our Home, Hospital Education Service (HHES) for emotional or medical needs.
However, despite the ‘labels’ the young people arrive with, it is evident that behind these presenting behaviours, there is invariably some undiagnosed and unmet primary need(s). Out of the total cohort of approximately 250, around six per cent of these are of KS2, 34 per cent KS3 and a further 60 per cent in KS4, so why are these presenting behaviours mostly manifesting themselves on the transition into secondary provision? Although there are fewer primary aged children being supported, there is evidence that we have much greater success at reintegrating them back into mainstream from the PRU at KS2 than at other key stages. This led us to ask the question – are we missing the point? Would this indicate that once a real understanding of their primary needs has been established, and appropriate interventions employed, young people are able to engage in learning as staff are more skilled in meeting their needs?
In an attempt to understand some of these causal factors around the number of young people presenting with challenging behaviours, we have been interested in the national research relating to Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and its correlation with behaviour. The DfE Bercow Report (2008) identified a gap of provision in both identifying and meeting SLCN of young people in schools, recognising that if these are unmet they can have a direct impact on behaviour in schools.
“To be able to communicate is a precious commodity. To be unable to do so can be a profoundly damaging disability.” (Bercow 2008)
In order to research this further, initially in 2012, finances were secured for a commissioned audit of our young people, conducted by speech and language specialists. Alarmingly, this audit demonstrated that 100 per cent of the KS2 cohort, 97 per cent of KS3 and 86 per cent of KS4 were found to have SLCN which had previously been undiagnosed or unmet. These statistics were absolutely staggering and were the driver for us to develop an intervention programme that could, by removing the barriers to learning, both support young people at risk of exclusion, while demonstrating that with the right support plans, particularly around issues relating to SLCN, young people’s needs could and should be met within mainstream provision.
