Factors associated with the school exclusion gap for children with social work involvement: a retrospective cohort study using national administrative data

Children who receive social care services are known to have higher exclusion rates than those without social care involvement. However, there is limited evidence on which groups of children are most at risk of this exclusion gap. This article reports on a retrospective analysis of administrative data from the National Pupil Database in England, covering two age-based cohorts of children (n = 1.2 million) who took standardized tests in 2019. Children receiving social care services within the previous five years were compared with those with no social care involvement, focusing on rates of exclusion within a 12 month period. Regression models were estimated to examine how the relative likelihood of exclusion was associated with a range of covariates, including demographic characteristics, special educational needs and disabilities, categories of social care need, and various aspects of provision. Results showed that the gap in exclusions was wider for children with multiple episodes of social care involvement, some—but not all—types of special educational needs and disabilities, and for certain categories of social care needs. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, particularly with respect to children with behavioural difficulties.