It is deeply concerning to see amongst the statistics that there has been a 58% rise in exclusions in primary-aged pupils, with ‘persistent disruptive behaviour’ cited as the most common reason for schools having to resort to these extreme measures. Additionally, the DfE reported earlier this year that record numbers were absent from education for long periods – up to 150% higher than pre-Covid levels.

According to the DfE, exclusions were ‘relatively stable’ before the Covid-19 pandemic, but since the disruption caused by lockdowns, illness, financial hardships and the many other stresses and trauma of that period, they have reported a sharp rise in distressed and challenging behaviour amongst children and young people, which is now reflected in the alarming exclusion statistics and the large numbers of pupils not attending school regularly. Research evidence consistently shows that distressed and dysregulated behaviour including angry outbursts; panic and anxiety; disengagement and difficulties concentrating are often the result of wider factors including adversity, unmet special education needs, poor mental health; and other factors outside of the control and conscious understanding of a young person.

Post-COVID, we did have a lot of children that found it difficult to come to school and the Hamish & Milo sessions have helped with that. The calming strategies and understanding of emotional literacy to express what they are feeling, and to be able to communicate that to others has helped an awful lot with us (and with their parents) to help understand what’s going on and why they’re feeling the way that they’re feeling.

Hamish & Milo has given our children the understanding of their responses to stress and the effect it has on their bodies and their brains in ways that are easy, a lot of fun and easy for them to understand. Staff also now have a framework of understanding and a language to understand this too. It has changed our engagement with parents too, as we can use the same framework to understand and address their concerns as well.

We had one pupil with underlying medical needs who refused to come to school for a whole term. We decided to include him in a small group of pupils and used the ‘Amazing Me’ resources. The progress this pupil made blew me away! The other children in the group were so supportive of him and helped to build his confidence enough to the point that he just came out of himself – to the group at first and then he was able to take that back to is classroom – his teacher could not believe the difference and he is just blooming now!”

We have a small number – 7 or 8 – pupils who are at risk of exclusion and I feel that since we have been implementing Hamish & Milo, there has not been the need to resort to anywhere the number of suspensions I normally would have to. I think the biggest thing that I have noticed is the number of children that it is impacting positively in terms of their emotional literacy. Now we rarely have to implement an individual support programme for a child, whereas previously that was all we had to offer – Hamish & Milo is just reaching far more children!”

Research shows strong links between exclusion and poor mental health

Research by children’s charity Chance UK found that suspensions at primary age can have a devastating long-term impact on a child’s life and education path. They also cite that 90% of children excluded at primary school don’t pass GCSE English and Maths (grade 4 or above) and that disadvantaged children are at a much greater risk of expulsion or suspension than their peers.

When you have five and six-year-olds excluded something really isn’t working and these vulnerable children need and deserve support. We believe early intervention is the key.

Talk to us today about our SEMH intervention programmes email hello@hamishandmilo.org with any questions or to arrange a call.

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