The Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission of Hackney Council met on Tuesday 22 July 2025 to discuss behaviour management and school inclusion, hearing evidence from various organisations and reviewing the council's work programme. Key discussions focused on the challenges faced by schools in supporting pupils with complex needs, the impact of the pandemic on children's social and emotional development, and the effectiveness of current behaviour management strategies. The Commission also reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year, considering suggestions for future scrutiny topics.

Behaviour Management and School Inclusion

The Commission heard evidence from a range of contributors regarding behaviour management and school inclusion. Jason Morantz, Director of Education and Inclusion, provided an overview of A-level provision in Hackney, stating that while there are sufficient places, there are concerns about entry-level requirements and the performance of students at B6, now part of New City College. He noted that students who would be described as disadvantaged by the recognized criteria wouldn't do as well there as they would in other Hackney schools, or looking at the Hackney wide average. A meeting with Deputy Mayor Bramble and Councillor Williams was planned to discuss this further.

The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), represented by James Bowen and Matthew Waterfall, highlighted the impact of the pandemic, noting an increase in children starting school with emotional and social needs, as well as delays in speech and language development. They also observed a breakdown in the social contract between schools and parents and a lack of access to specialist external support. The NAHT stressed that while most schools take a balanced approach to behaviour, there has been a growth in warm strict and restorative approaches.

Representatives from the Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), including Coralyn Burge and Ella Keeley, presented on London's Inclusion Charter, a commitment to creating fair and inclusive education for all young people. They highlighted that exclusions and suspensions are risk factors for young people becoming vulnerable to exploitation, with evidence showing that excluded children are twice as likely to be convicted of a violent offence. The Charter is underpinned by research on safety and belonging, with a focus on embedding equity and diversity, students as active citizens, adaptability, and going beyond academic achievement.

Partners of the VRU also presented:

• NurtureUK, represented by Arti Sharma, shared their 50-year history of focusing on children's social and emotional development, emphasizing their six principles of nurture and the impact of the Boxall Profile® for early identification of needs. They reported improvements in attendance, a drop in exclusions, and better behaviour in schools where their approach is implemented.
• UNICEF UK, represented by Martin Russell, discussed the Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA), which aims to embed children's rights in school culture. They highlighted how this approach empowers children's voices and fosters mutual respect.
• Attachment Research Community (ARC), represented by Andy Wright, spoke about the importance of a relational approach to education, moving away from behaviourist models. He stressed the need for a public value proposition from local authorities to support schools in adopting these approaches.
• Lewisham Virtual School, represented by Patrick Ward, shared their experience of moving away from behaviourist approaches towards a relational model, noting that consistency and accountability as they are applied in schools are wrong. They make schools less safe, not more safe.

Local voluntary sector organisations also presented their work:

• Hackney Quest, represented by Colette Allen, shared their 24 years of experience in youth programmes, mentoring, and family support. They highlighted the success of their former Key Stage 3 and 4 exclusion provision, which ran for nine years without significant incidents, attributing this to their relational approach and community trust. They expressed concern that Hackney is not fully embracing the relational approach, stating that some schools are damaging children.
• The Crib, represented by Jeanette Collins, MBE, discussed their work with young people and families, focusing on empowering parents to advocate for their children in schools. They noted a rise in exclusions among specific ethnic groups and young women, and advocated for early intervention programmes to help children transition from primary to secondary school.
• Immediate Theatre, represented by Jo Carter and Charmain Humphrey, presented their Interactions programme, which uses arts-based activities to help young people aged 11-19 explore emotions, build confidence, and re-engage with education or employment. They highlighted the challenges of engaging with schools and the need for their work to be respected as professional, not just volunteer, support.

The Commission engaged in a detailed Q&A with the contributors, discussing issues such as the reasons for low engagement of Hackney schools with the Inclusive and Nurturing Schools Programme, the metrics used to assess the effectiveness of the VRU's work, and the challenges faced by the voluntary sector in accessing schools. Deputy Mayor Bramble and Jason Morantz, Director of Education and Inclusion, acknowledged the concerns raised and committed to improving relationships between schools and the voluntary sector, and to developing clearer pathways for engagement through the HEALS programme.

Work Programme 2025/26

The Commission reviewed suggestions for its work programme for the 2025/26 municipal year. Several items were discussed, including:

• Housing support for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which will be a joint scrutiny with the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission in March 2026.
• Improving outcomes for young black boys and girls, which will be incorporated into the work programme with a date to be agreed.
• Employment and training topics, which the Chair and Vice Chair will explore with the Chair of Skills, Economy and Growth.
• Post-16 destinations and outcomes, including A-level provision and support for young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
• Careers guidance, advice and support, to be reviewed in conjunction with the Skills, Economy and Growth Scrutiny Commission.
• Children's Mental Health, focusing on accessibility of local services and dropout rates from talking therapies, potentially in a joint session with Health scrutiny.
• Cost of childcare and its impact on families.
• Inclusion at local schools, with a suggestion for a kitemark system for good inclusive practice.
• School exclusion accountability, investigating where high exclusions are occurring.
• Authoritarian behaviour management in schools, and how schools are accountable to their communities.

The Commission noted that there were limited spaces on the work programme for the upcoming year but that further areas could be covered through the Cabinet Q&A process.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes from the previous meeting held on 2nd June 2025 were reviewed and agreed. Councillor Ross and Councillor McKenzie requested to be added to the attendee list.

Any Other Business

Councillor Troughton expressed appreciation for the thoroughness of the discussion, particularly regarding the behaviour management and school inclusion item, noting that important information was not rushed. The next meeting was scheduled for 15 September 2025.

The meeting was formally closed.