The primary school culture of league tables, targets and formal curriculum makes it harder for schools to be inclusive and support the children with the greatest social and learning needs, new research has found.

A study by academics at Kings College, London has found that the success of a local initiative to avoid children being excluded from primary school depended very much on the individual school’s culture.

The research also found that attempts by agencies to work together to support children with emotional and behavioural difficulties were being severely hampered by professionals’ different understandings of what caused the difficulties.

The Economic and Social Research Council-funded research suggested that short term interventions were highly unlikely to have much success, and that parents and children themselves should be consulted about future initiatives.

- For more information e-mail sheila.macrae@kcl.ac.uk