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What is the impact on young people of being excluded from school? Sheila Lewis talks to young Londoners about their experiences.

School exclusions are on the rise again, according to latest government figures. After falling for three years, the past two years have seen an increase of nearly 15 per cent. Although local education authorities are now expected to ensure that being excluded from a school does not mean being excluded from an education, it is an experience that is unlikely to improve a young person’s prospects of success.

So how does it feel for those who find themselves on the wrong side of the school fence?

Young people at Project Fresh Start, an education and employment project for excluded young people based in north London, spoke about what happened to them and how they see things now.

Craig, 16, was surprised and upset about being excluded. "I was messing about with my mates and I threw a few chairs around in the classroom, and I set fire to a piece of paper under my desk. I knew that I’d put my classmates at risk but I didn’t expect to get excluded. I felt that the teachers had targeted me. This started when I was in year eight and nine and continued until I finally got excluded in year 10. I was really sad about being excluded, I felt upset that I couldn’t continue with my education. Because I was getting older, getting a good education was important to me. My mum was really upset when I got excluded and even more so when they said that they were going to send me to a special school for young people with behaviour problems. I remember her saying: ‘I can’t take this.’ I think she wanted me to be a good example for my younger brothers and sisters. I felt sorry that I had put her though this and I also felt sorry for myself. My mates were getting an education while I was sitting at home doing nothing. Simply watching TV, what was I going to learn from that? Nothing. I wanted to impress my mates. They were all doing ‘bad’ things and I just joined in with them. I wanted to fit in.

"I was excluded for eight months in total. When I was not at school no one missed me, my mates didn’t seem that interested in me anymore. When I returned I decided that I would change my mates and my attitude. I noticed that that the teachers were more supportive of me when I didn’t mess about. I felt like I’d been given a second chance. I was happy. I felt like I had turned my life around. Now I’m busy doing football coaching for young people. My boss didn’t look at my CV and say: ‘Oh, he used to throw chairs around at school.’ He’s given me a chance and that feels good."

Fifteen-year-old Shyanne’s experience was different. She has managed to keep in touch with her friends. She says: "When I walk past my school and I see all of my friends in the playground I don’t feel bad because I still see my friends so it still feels like I’m at school. I don’t feel left out. Some of my best friends are with me now at this project. In school, I felt like I was on my own. It is difficult to talk with teachers. If you have a true friend at school that’s good but most of the time I felt alone. The reason why I stopped attending school was because I felt that I wasn’t learning enough. I was bored. I think schools have to try and make their lessons more interesting. I have learned more about life by not going to school."

Mya, 15, has mixed feelings about being out of school. "I don’t really miss school that much because it wasn’t that much fun in school. Sometimes I do think about if I want to go back to school. But at the moment I’m all right not being in school.

"When I was in school, I couldn’t talk to the teachers when I was having problems with my school work because there are so many children in the classroom. I felt embarrassed to ask for help and I fell behind. I didn’t get enough help with my problems.

"When I got excluded it happened so suddenly. I was involved with a girl gang and we would mess around. I took the blame for much of their behaviour. I had an argument with my head of year about this and he asked to see my mum. He told her he would have to exclude me from school. My mum also thought it was a good idea if I was out of school.

"I was really angry because they didn’t listen to my side of the story. I’m still upset now because my friends are busy with their exams and I’m missing out on so much schoolwork. When it’s time to get a job I’m not going to be at the same level as other school leavers. Being out of school doesn’t make me feel ‘dumb’, but I know that I have missed a lot of schooling. I’ve been out of school for six months. In the future there’ll be nowhere for me to turn. I can’t say ‘Yeah I have this number of qualifications’ because I don’t. I feel like I’ll always be playing catch-up."

Rosemarie, 15, arrived in Britain when she was 11. She was bullied at school about her accent, and hated going.

"I’ve heard people say that I’m a drop-out from school or that I’ve been kicked out but it doesn’t matter to me because I know why I was excluded. Each morning I would wake up for school and say to my mum: ‘I’m not going to school today’, because I knew the girls that bullied me would be there. I told the teachers and they didn’t do anything. They’d just tell me what they thought I wanted to hear. I felt low about myself, I used to go home and cut myself with razors. I think some teachers should go back to training school because they are not fit to be teachers.

"I don’t want to go back to school because I know that I’m going to get bullied and I’d get into trouble because I would defend myself. I think my troubles started when my classmates used to mock my accent. It was difficult coming to a British school at the age of 11. I had to try and fit in but it was hard for me.

"I’m concerned about my future. When you go for a job they are going to ask about your education and about your qualifications What am I going to say? ‘Yeah I was out of education by year 9.’ Thanks to this project, I have gained a lot more confidence in myself. If I was back in full-time education I would feel like I was learning a lot more. If I went back to school, I would expect the teachers to listen to me when I tell them about my problems."