THE number of pupils excluded from Glasgow schools is continuing to fall, figures reveal.

There were more than 7500 exclusions in the city’s schools in 2006/07 but the number dropped to around 950 in 2018/19.

And the figure has declined again, with 847 exclusion incidents in 2019/20 – albeit in a school year cut short by Covid-19.

Maureen McKenna, the city council’s director of education, said her department’s “nurturing” work has played a key role.

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In a presentation to a council scrutiny committee, she said only 0.65% of Glasgow’s children are affected by exclusion.

The director added there is “no link between deprivation and exclusions” and children with additional support needs are significantly more likely to be excluded.

“Over a considered period of time we have had quite a dramatic reduction in exclusions,” Ms McKenna said.

“Even last year, although 19/20 was truncated, the exclusions lowered again, which is very positive. Our nurturing work has really impacted on that.

“I think this is quite an extraordinary statistic, only 0.65% of our children are actually affected by exclusion.”

Ms McKenna said there is an “intuitive” view that “the more deprived an area is, the higher the exclusions are”.

“When we’ve looked in a Glasgow context, that’s not what we’re seeing,” she added.

“We’re seeing a stronger link around the ethos of the school, the culture of the school – a culture that promotes inclusion.”

However, she added: “When we do look at the data, we can see children with additional support needs are much more likely to be excluded.

“Additional support needs is a very broad definition, that can be children who have social and emotional needs, not just learning difficulties. It can also be care-experienced children.”

The director will deliver a future report on equalities and children more likely to be excluded.

She said: “There will always be a need for exclusion, it might be for the child’s own safety or the safety of other children.”

Councillor Ade Aibinu asked what had helped to drive down the number of exclusions.

Ms McKenna said: “Our nurturing approach without a shadow of a doubt. We have extended and embedded our nurturing training.

“I think our teachers have a deeper understanding that all behaviour is communication.

“That if a child is acting out, we need to look at the reasons behind that, rather than just pressing a button that goes straight to putting them out of school, potentially back to that challenging context again.”

She said staff look at “those reasons behind why children are behaving in certain ways”.

“Our educational psychologists have been doing fantastic work delivering that training right across our staff.”