School Exclusion, Inequality and Belonging: Participation evidence from children

School exclusion is widely recognised as a key site where educational practice, inequality, wellbeing, and safeguarding intersect. A substantial body of research across the UK demonstrates that exclusion is experienced disproportionately by children and young people who are already marginalised, including those with additional support needs (ASN), care experience, and those living in poverty (McCluskey et al., 2019; Duffy et al., 2025; King, 2026). Research further highlights that exclusion rarely functions as a neutral or corrective intervention. Instead, it often reproduces inequality, damages relationships, and heightens vulnerability to harm (McAra & McVie, 2010; Cornish & Brennan, 2025). However, while the scale and distribution of exclusion are well evidenced, the lived experiences of children and young people, particularly how exclusion feels, how it shapes belonging, and how it is understood, are less consistently centred in policy and guidance. This report presents practice based participation evidence grounded in the lived experiences of approximately 150 secondary school aged children. It brings children’s perspectives into direct dialogue with the existing research base, offering insight into how exclusion is experienced in practice and how guidance might better align with both evidence and children’s rights.