An exploration of girls' experiences of exclusion from, and reintegration into, mainstream secondary schools

The purpose of this research was to explore the reintegration experiences of excluded girls into mainstream secondary schools. While recognising the potential vulnerability of this population, increasing exclusion rates among girls and concerns about unofficial exclusions that are not legally accounted for in official statistics indicate that the needs of these children are sometimes invisible to the professionals who support them. In light of the long-term implications of exclusions, it is likely that the government and schools would be under significant pressure to reduce exclusion rates. Despite the growing number of girls affected by exclusions and reintegration, there is presently little research in the United Kingdom (UK) that explicitly explores how girls perceive the reintegration processes and what they consider to be valuable. Three secondary school-aged girls were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, the interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed. Following the completion of individual case analyses, four overarching themes emerged from the data collected from the participants: "Fairness, Respect, and Accountability," "Participation and Inclusion," "Self-Determination and Personal Agency," and "Frustrations, Fear, and Fighting." The findings are discussed and presented in the context of the pre-existing literature and psychological theory. In in addition to discussing the implications for Educational Psychology profession and school-based, the research also highlights the limitations and suggests areas for future research.