After the belt: school processes in low‐exclusion schools

Corporal punishment was abolished in Strathclyde in 1982, leading to new discipline systems in the schools. This study examines the exclusion rate in 57 secondary schools during the following three years. The aim was to identify low exclusion schools and outline their common policies, practices and attitudes. Across the full social spectrum, the prevalence of disadvantage in intake is associated with exclusion rate. This association is not inevitable, however, as six low exclusion schools in disadvantaged areas were identified. These schools have little in the way of unconventional or radical features in their discipline and support systems. Their effectiveness lies in their preventive approach which is rooted in their ideology.