ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the statistics for exclusions in UK schools. It shows that exclusion rates for boys are disproportionately high, in comparison to girls. For Black-African/Caribbean boy, or a Gypsy, Romany, or Traveller boy, those exclusion rates are three to five times higher, with regional variations sometimes double this. Chapter Two looks at how schools can make Black and GRT boys feel more included and valued members of the school community. It challenges the assumptions, the stereotypes, and the misconceptions about the behaviour of these minority boys and explains how they often become the victims of multiple micro-aggressions in daily school life. The chapter presents the findings of research into low expectations and teacher bias which inform negative attitudes in schools towards these two groups of boys and demonstrates how Black children are often sanctioned more severely than White children for the same infraction. The chapter argues for schools to scrutinise their policies on physical appearance as well as their curriculum to ensure that ethnic minority students and their families do not fall victim to unconscious bias or marginalisation. It aims to reduce school exclusions and the damaging impact they have on young people’s mental wellbeing.
