In the Autumn of 2018, the University of Sunderland was approached by Together for Children to ‘investigate the factors that impact upon social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people from 3-16 years in Sunderland City which may lead to exclusion from school’.
The purpose of the commission was to provide a research-informed review of the process and impact of school exclusion through a detailed examination of the personal lived experiences of children and their caregivers who experienced exclusion from school.
There were 165 individuals who took part in the research, 55 children, 41 of their caregivers, 55 headteachers across age phases and types of provision, 14 Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCos).

The objectives of the research were to:
• To evaluate the impact of fixed and permanent exclusions on the child and family
• To determine the effectiveness of the process of excluding a child from school
• To determine if there is a benefit to school exclusion from education professionals
• To share alternative approaches to school exclusion
• To present caregivers views on the enablers to alternative provision
• To produce a report with supporting evidence to inform provision planning and training for education professionals within the local area of Sunderland.

The report also contains a number of recommendations that seek to ensure the workforce in Sunderland have the knowledge, understanding and skills to meet the varying and multi-faceted needs of children and young people across the City.