PhD Studentship: Effective ways to reduce high student exclusion rates in one urban local authority

The proposed research is a collaboration between the University of Bedfordshire and Bedford Borough Local Authority. It will focus on an area of local and national significance with clear implications for impact on reducing levels of school exclusions of students who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties, and facilitating educational inclusion and positive achievement outcomes to the benefit of students, their families and schools.

The research will investigate:

• what is known  in Bedford Borough local authorityabout why exclusion rates of students who experience social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties in its schools are high compared to national norms,
• investigate how some schools elsewhere in England with similar demographics do not exclude and/or have achieved much lower exclusion rates,
• within the LA, elicit views and personal narratives of excluded students and their families, together with perceptions and experiences of school staff, about reasons for exclusions and what might be done to avoid exclusion and enable students who experience SEMH to be included effectively in mainstream schools,
• analyse the collated information to draw out lessons about potentially effective ways to address issues that are raised,
• work out, with colleagues from Bedford Borough and schools in the borough, which approaches/interventions might be trialed and evaluated in the timescale available to the researcher,
• trial and evaluate the nominated approaches.

The proposed research has the potential to inform the local authority and, more widely, the Department for Education, about effective approaches to including, and enhancing future life chances, of young people who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties about whom there is currently much concern.

The project will suit a graduate in education, an education professional or a local government employee with a particular interest in issues of behaviour that challenges, a track record of research in schools, and an aptitude for technology. They should be able to work independently, be able to take initiative and to work effectively in small teams. They will be based on the Bedford Campus. Data collection will include surveys, interviews and observations and the researcher will be required to visit schools and other educational institutions both locally and nationally. The researcher will require an enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants should hold a first class or good upper second class honours degree in a relevant area, and/or a Master’s degree with merit or distinction, and/or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a relevant work context.

All applicants should be proficient in spoken and written English.

Applicants should complete and submit a CV and a writing sample of up to 2,000 words outlining their particular research interests in the field of the proposed doctorate and qualifications for this particular project by 12 noon on Monday, 22nd August, 2022. Two references (at least one academic and a second academic or professional should also be included. The subject line of the email should read IRED and BB. All the documents should be included in a single file or pdf and emailed to [email protected]

Following the interview process, the successful applicant will be invited to apply formally to the PhD programme at the University of Bedfordshire. Acceptance of the funded studentship will be via a formal conditional offer from the University of Bedfordshire.

Queries should be addressed to Professor Janice Wearmouth: [email protected]