Re-Imagining Education: How Our ‘No Exclusion’ Policy Changes Lives
“When that threat of exclusion is removed you create space for the trust, attachment and sense of identity that these young people need, to open up and make significant progress educationally, emotionally and socially” - Goldsmiths UoL TCES research project - 2019.
At TCES, we operate under one simple principle: we never give up on a single child. For over two decades, we’ve adhered to a ‘no exclusion’ policy, and that commitment has fundamentally shaped who we are and how we serve the young people who come through our doors.
The idea of never excluding a pupil may sound idealistic or even impractical, but at TCES, we’ve seen first-hand how this approach doesn’t just work—it changes lives.
Our unwavering refusal to exclude is not merely a statement of intention; it is the foundation of everything we do, from our teaching to our therapeutic support. It’s a promise we make to every child who walks through our doors: You belong here, and we will never give up on you.
Why We Don’t Exclude
Exclusion, whether permanent or fixed-term, is a widespread practice in schools across the UK. The DfE publishes exclusion and suspension statistics each term and just before schools closed for the summer, the latest data was released. The data is always a year behind and relates to the 22/23 academic year. During that year, both suspensions and exclusions hit their highest number on record.
This signifies clearly that the decade of ‘Zero tolerance’ in which ‘Exclusion’ Leaders told us that their behaviourist policies of utilising exclusions as a means to improve behaviour were going to work, have failed spectacularly.
For children with complex needs, exclusion often reinforces a cycle of rejection and failure. Many of the young people who join TCES have been permanently excluded from multiple schools—sometimes as many as three or four. By the time they arrive with us, they have been failed by the system, often left feeling worthless and isolated, believing that no one wants to help them.
Our ‘no exclusion’ policy is a response to this systemic failure. We know that exclusion does not solve behavioural issues or support emotional development. In fact, it often does the opposite. By rejecting the most vulnerable children, exclusion only exacerbates feelings of anger, frustration, and hopelessness, leading to worse outcomes both academically and socially.
The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) estimates that *“The cost of exclusion is around £370,000 per young person in lifetime education, benefits, healthcare and criminal justice costs”. The true costs of exclusion is an unknown number, likely many multiples of this conservative number”. [Gill, et al 2017, P.22]. * IPPR Report ‘Making the Difference’ – 10th Oct 2017.
We refuse to participate in this cycle. Instead, we focus on creating an environment where every child—regardless of their past behaviour or challenges—can succeed. This isn’t always easy, and it’s never without obstacles, but the results speak for themselves.
Why Inclusion Matters
Let me share a story about one of our pupils, James (name changed for privacy), whose journey at TCES exemplifies the power of inclusion.
James joined us after being excluded from multiple mainstream schools for aggressive and disruptive behaviour. His academic progress had stalled, and he was labelled as "difficult." His Local Authority was running out of options and James was at serious risk of becoming another statistic—another young person lost to the education system, and ultimately, to society.
At TCES, James experienced something he had never encountered before: acceptance. He wasn’t seen as a problem but as a child in need of understanding, support, and care.
Our team worked closely with James, using our integrated therapeutic education model to address the underlying issues behind his behaviour. His journey wasn’t linear—there were setbacks and challenges along the way—but we never considered excluding him. We knew that for James, exclusion would only reinforce the trauma and rejection he had experienced in the past.
Through therapy and engagement in our LIFE Programme, James began to turn a corner. Over time, he developed leadership skills, took on responsibilities within the school, and re-engaged with his learning.
Today, James is in further education, pursuing a vocational course that he’s passionate about. More importantly, he has confidence in his future—a future that once seemed out of reach.
James is not an isolated case. He is one of the many success stories that prove the power of inclusion. In fact, 90% of our pupils go on to further education, employment, or training within three to five years after leaving TCES.
These outcomes aren’t the result of quick fixes or punitive measures. They’re the product of our ‘no exclusion’ policy, which allows young people the time and space to heal, grow, and thrive.
A Call to Action: Redefining Success
As we celebrate 25 years of TCES, it’s important to reflect on what this milestone means. It’s not just about longevity or the number of pupils we’ve served; it’s about the lives we’ve transformed by staying true to our core values. Our ‘no exclusion’ policy is more than just a guiding principle—it’s the heart of everything we do.
Exclusion is damaging for the whole community, reinforcing attitudes of intolerance and prejudice, as well as maintaining a system that is inflexible and unresponsive to difference.
There is no evidence supporting the notion that exclusion acts as a deterrent. In fact, with exclusions hitting record numbers, the only outcomes of exclusion appears to be a widening gap between children with special educational needs and disabilities and their peers, and significant days and weeks of lost learning. Instead, exclusion further ostracises young people who are already struggling to find a place of belonging.
I believe that every school, every organisation that works with young people, has a responsibility to rethink how we define success. Is it simply about academic results? Or is it about ensuring that every child, no matter their background or behaviour, has the chance to succeed?
At TCES, we’ve chosen the latter. We’ve chosen inclusion over exclusion, understanding over punishment, and transformation over rejection. And we will continue to do so for the next 25 years and beyond.
Because every child deserves a future. And at TCES, we believe in making that future possible—no matter what.
By Thomas Keaney, CEO & Founder of TCES