London Education and Inclusion Project (LEIP): A cluster-randomised controlled trial protocol of an intervention to reduce antisocial behaviour and improve educational/occupational attainment for pupils at risk of school exclusion

Background: In 2011/12 about 6% of pupils in England who were in the last two years of compulsory education(Years 10 and 11) experienced one or more fixed period school exclusions a for disciplinary reasons and there are roughly 300,000 fixed period exclusions every year in England and Wales (Department for Education, 2013a).Excluded pupils are at a greatly increased risk of failing GCSE examinations, not being in employment, education or training (NEET) at ages 16–24, and having criminal convictions as adolescents or young adults. To date, little or no research has been conducted on programmes designed to improve outcomes for those at risk for fixed period exclusions. Similarly, there is very little research on the effects of school disciplinary procedures, such as fixed period exclusions, on outcomes for young people.Method/Design: The current study attempts to fill these gaps via a cluster-randomised controlled field experiment designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a social and communication skills based intervention for Year 9 and 10 pupils at high risk for fixed-term exclusion during the 2013/14 academic year in selected Greater London schools.The project will chart the short-, medium- and long-term effects of the intervention on the participants, as well as track the participants via administrative records over time.Discussion: It is an independent evaluation, in which the role of the evaluation and the programme implementation are separated and carried out by two independent teams funded by different agencies.Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN 23244695 (14 Jan 2014).Keywords: Fixed-term school exclusion, High-risk adolescents, Disciplinary procedures, Schools