Included, engaged and involved part 2 guidance refresh working group minutes - October 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Scottish Government
• School Leaders Scotland (SLS)
• National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT)
• Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS)
• Includem
• Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA)
• Association of Scottish Principle Educational Psychologists (ASPEP)
• The Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS)
• Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators in Scotland (SOLAR)

Apologies

• Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)
• Glasgow University
• Education Scotland
• Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES)
• National Social, Emotional and Behavioural Needs Network (SEBN)
• Connect
• Association of Headteachers and Deputes Scotland (AHDS)

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions

The chair welcomed members and noted apologies. It was noted that Glasgow University was unfortunately unable to attend and would present at a future meeting of the group. Draft minutes from the previous meeting of the group on 28 August had been circulated to members in advance. Members confirmed that they were content to agree the minutes.

Action: SG to publish minutes on SG website.

Action: Glasgow University to provide overview of emerging research on exclusion data and additional support needs at a future meeting of the group.

Provisional meeting dates and areas for discussion

The chair had circulated proposed dates for upcoming meetings and an overview of discussion topics for meetings in advance. Members were content with the planned discussion topics. It was highlighted that consideration would be given to the Easter break when planning meeting dates.

Draft guidance

A draft of section 2 of the revised guidance was circulated in advance of the meeting for consideration. Some key points raised by members included:

• to ensure the document is as concise as possible and avoid duplication with other guidance – it was suggested that the introductory section could be shortened in light of several new guidance documents being released recently
• it was highlighted that the next wave of BISSR research will be released soon after publication
• consideration should be given to where the guidance sits in the wider policy context and ensuring trends in behaviour in schools are reflected
• it is important to consider and reference the wellbeing and safety of others
• it should be highlighted that exclusion is a part of a suite of actions to allow for planning and support including the use of risk assessment
• the statistical significance of current data was highlighted and discussed
• it was noted that there are specific requirements related to equity for vulnerable groups – for example there are some pupils who are not care experienced but without a stable home environment and therefore exclusion would not be appropriate
• guiding principles were discussed with a suggestion that they can be helpful to set out an overarching approach – it was also suggested that this could be presented under existing guidance or legislation and it may be helpful to revisit the guiding principles when work has progressed further
• the length of exclusion should not be related to perceived seriousness of incident but rather the time required to plan and put in place support
• it was suggested that the section on who the guidance is for could be more concise and that the guidance may also be relevant to appeals committees

Action: SG to update section 2 in response to feedback and circulate to members in advance of next meeting.

Prevention strategies and alternatives to exclusion – examples from practice

In advance of the meeting, members were asked to consider within their networks, where appropriate, alternatives to exclusion and prevention strategies which are used in practice. Some feedback included the following points:

• it was highlighted that some schools have an external space which can be used as an alternative to exclusion; but it was noted that not all schools have the facilities or staffing for such spaces
• some schools use Pupil Equity Funds to reorganise staff
• general preventative approaches such as Nurture bases and partnerships with third sector organisations were highlighted
• it was suggested that an adapted or reduced timetable may be more appropriate than an exclusion in some cases and that this should be a collaborative decision with the whole team around the child

Action: SG to draft guidance on preventing exclusions for the next meeting of the group.

Annexes and legislation

Members were asked to consider draft guidance of key legislation related to exclusion in advance of the meeting. It was suggested that inclusion of health and safety at work legislation should be considered. Protected characteristics and the Equality Act (2010) were also discussed.

Engagement

Engagement with children and young people to inform the guidance review was discussed.

Action: SG to discuss opportunities for engagement with Includem.

Next steps

Action: SG to schedule the next meeting of the group for approximately 6 weeks’ time.