Bury tops class for expulsions

Pamela Welsh

July 30, 2009

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SCHOOLS in Bury have the highest rate of expulsions in the country, according to government figures.

Eighty pupils were permanently excluded during 2007/08 - equivalent to 0.28 per cent of the school population.

The second-highest rate in the country was in Salford, where 0.27 per cent of pupils were thrown out.

Figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families showed expulsion rates are above average in seven of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs.

The M.E.N. reported earlier this month that 126 children were expelled from schools in Manchester last year, with 28 from primary schools.

But Manchester's expulsion rate is only 0.19 per cent of the school population, well behind Bury and Salford.

Town hall bosses in Bury said their hardline policy against unruly students was one reason why schools performed well in exam league tables.

Council leader Bob Bibby said: "Standards of education in Bury are among the highest in Greater Manchester.

Education

"We can't have disruptive pupils making life difficult for their classmates, which is why our expulsion levels are so high.

"We would like to reduce the number we remove, but we do think the policy is working."

Teachers have also welcomed the figures, claiming they showed schools were taking the safety of staff seriously.

Avis Gilmore, north west organiser of the NUT, said: "It's a really difficult decision to make and no one wants to remove a child from their education.

"We obviously want to ensure the safety of other children and teachers and I think there are some positives here.

"However, we need to be thinking about the funding for schools and teaching assistants and to cut class sizes."

Salford council said decisions on expulsions were made by head teachers and school governors.

Nationally, there were 8,130 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and special schools in 2007-08, 6.4 per cent fewer than the year before.

Expulsion rates are also high in Oldham, where about 90 pupils were expelled. expulsion rates were lower in Rochdale, Bolton and Trafford, while Wigan has one of the lowest rates.

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Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (31/07/2009 at 07:53)

Excellent .. Bury obviously cares more for the pupils that want to learn rather than the unruly minority!

Knowsleyman, Paphos (31/07/2009 at 08:41)

In my day anyone who caused problems in class got the slipper or cane!!!!!!!!!!! It worked.

Society has now deemed this as unacceptable.

What is really unacceptable is the disruption these "pupils" cause in the class, preventing those who wish to learn from doing so, and then costing a fortune to teach those who do not wish to learn at home/elswhere.

Isn't progress wonderful?

redted, Manchester (31/07/2009 at 09:08)

no doubt the do badders will complain saying these disruptive 'pupils' are victims and are badly treated!!

Mark,Radcliffe. (31/07/2009 at 10:00)

So 97.72% of Bury's school population are ignoring the disruptive antics of others,and continuing in their diligant self-application,supported by their Staff and the Education Council.Something that needs to be highlighted and praised,instead of the other element grabbing the headlines.

Voter (31/07/2009 at 10:34)

Well done, Bury! Discipline is the key element in any school and one of the big reasons why parents pay money for independent schools. This government has nationalised the schools and wants them to teach political propaganda without discipline. A friend of mine in Bolton - as it happens of Pakistani background - was hoping to send his son to the excellent Bolton School but he cannot afford that and is sending him miles to try to find a school with good discipline. If Notting Hill Dave, aka, Tony Blair Mark II, wants to help education then he should let heads expel more freely, as they can in independent schools.

Is It Me? (31/07/2009 at 10:58)

Bring back grammar schools and turn the comprehensives into technology and vocational establishments.This way the 'academics' can do their thing and the more practical based children can do theirs! What is the point of learning trigonometry if you want to say,join the navy or repair cars,when you grow up? Both types of establishment should have equal status and the practical based children put into apprenticeships or go to a University specializing in practical based technology sujects.There are an infinite number of ways of being clever--- I doubt if Einstein could have played football for United,for example! Unruly children should be segregated from the rest and SAS retirees used to teach them until they have seen the light.

to the point, bury (31/07/2009 at 11:00)

My granddaughter had to change schools due to the disruption these kids cause, '126 children were expelled, that’s 126 kids on the street. They think it is a holiday for them. When they become ' adults' what then, just a load of dropouts on the street and benefits. All courtesy of me, the taxpayer. My granddaughter has never recovered from the disruption to her education this caused.
Bring back discipline at home and schools, or is it to late now?

Mark,Radcliffe. (31/07/2009 at 11:44)

I need to get a Maths Refresher,especially substraction...The Bury figure is actually 99.72% of the school population are applying themselves in their academic work...Well done Bury,and all other Teaching areas for ensuring such a high figure.

Andy., Bury (31/07/2009 at 12:22)

On the street. A lot of excluded kids end up in other schools where they may thrive. If they don't then they got to the Pupil Referral Unit. The street? I don't think so.

Nice post Mark.

Billy the Fish! (31/07/2009 at 15:24)

I got expelled from school, thrown out in my A Level years for stealing Phosphorous from the Chemistry lab and my general obnoxious attitude!

I deserved it!

Miah, Rochdale (04/08/2009 at 09:03)

There are hundreds of children in Manchester schools that should have been expelled but the schools in Manchester go to great lengths not to expel them, moving them around to different classes, accessing the in-school pyschology services, referring them to other outside agencies like FISS etc, they deal with the problem rather than throwing them out for another school/establishment to deal with, unless of course the problem is to great and the best place then is a local Federation school.

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