Lusted, Lianne;
(2022)
An Exploration of School and Young People’s Perceptions and Experiences of In-School Units.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
The evidence base on exclusions highlights many negative long-term consequences for young people, yet they are continuing to rise. One response to managing behaviour has been the use of in-school units (ISUs) which provide a halfway point between formal exclusion and being in mainstream classes. ISUs are particularly prominent among secondary schools and academies. Little is known about how ISUs operate and how the LA supports schools in managing behaviour. There is little research that seeks the views of young people regarding their experiences of ISUs. However, recent guidance has indicated that the government want to encourage the use of ISUs. Data were collected in two phases via semi-structured interviews. Phase one consisted of interviewing 4 school staff each from different secondary schools and 3 members of a LA behaviour team in one LA. This explored how ISUs are operating in some secondary educational settings and the support that schools receive from LA behaviour services. Phase two interviewed 8 young people from two secondary settings to explore the experiences of those who have accessed ISUs. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. Findings from school staff and the LA behaviour team highlighted three key themes: the discrepancies about the procedure, use and impact of ISUs; the school context and how the school system understands the strengths and needs of staff and pupils and accommodates these; and wider systemic considerations that could impact on the availability of support. Findings from young people highlighted three key themes: the negative impacts of the ISU, the sense of social injustice that arose from attending ISUs, and young people’s ideas on moving forward with the practice of ISUs. Implications for schools, professionals and policy makers are discussed.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | An Exploration of School and Young People’s Perceptions and Experiences of In-School Units |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10154144 |
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