Last Chance Academy Panorama

This programme contains some strong language

-You've been asked to leave the classroom.

-I'm not coming.

-Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?

-Go away!

Who do you think you are?

If you don't want me to speak to you like that, then go away.

I won't be going away.

-Because I'm not coming...

-I will not be going away.

Last year, over 146,000 kids were excluded from classrooms.

3,900 on a permanent basis.

-Oi.

-No, nothing's going to happen.

-I'm talking to you.

-No, nothing's going to happen outside.

One school in Birmingham is trying a totally different approach.

Their mission is to teach disruptive and excluded kids.

Chelsea, have you got at least one detail

about the forest so far?

If they are off task, sir, I will have them.

Bring your paper and we will have a look on the couch.

-I ain't putting up with this any more.

-Putting up with what?

Lack of effort, chatting, distracting others.

-I'm not distracting no-one!

-Well, you are not doing any work.

They've made their kids a promise -

they will get them five GCSEs.

Go on, you read it out.

When it rained the...ch-chalk...

At the moment the reading age it's giving you

is that of an eight-year-old.

In the build-up to the exams...

Well done, all the best.

Nice and mature.

Good luck, Chels.

You can be sick on your paper, but after you have put something on it.

..we follow the staff and pupils to see

if the school can deliver on that promise.

They are our kids. They come through that door when they are

11 years old, and this is our one chance.

I don't want to waste that chance.

And I am not saying at all we get it right with every one.

But we are going to try.

OK, you can begin.

Seven miles from Birmingham city centre is Baverstock Academy.

It's a large comprehensive school with 1,000 students.

In the corner of its playground,

they have created a department to teach excluded and disruptive kids.

Called LEAP, it's got its own set of rules,

its own gate and its own head - Martin Phipps.

Who didn't get to school on time this morning?

Right, let's start with the first...

Uh-uh. Let's start with the first excuse.

-Why?

-I don't know, it was traffic.

-Poor excuse.

-I was on the same bus as him.

-On the same bus as him?

All right, get in. Eh, shoes?

Eh, eh, come here, you.

Chelsea...

-What?

-Good morning, darling, did you have a nice half term?

-Yeah, nice actually.

-Uh, Chels?

-What?

Oh-ho-ho! Good morning, George.

George's mum and myself had a very interesting conversation

this morning. George was convinced we broke up yesterday.

And his excuse was,

"I've worked so hard, I deserve an extra day off."

Go on, in you go.

Eh, I want to see more of that smile, all right?

And I also want to see more of the work that you did yesterday too.

Good boy.

You know there's always that one that does

everything for everybody else and always gets caught?

Meet George. Wants to be a part, great personality,

but just hasn't got the strength of character to say no.

I was in mainstream lessons.

Then I went from there to Focus,

into a... It was outside in a little box with loads of other people.

Then I moved from there to learning support.

I was doing fine in there,

but they said, "Next year, you're going to be moving into LEAP."

So I ended up in here in the end.

And I prefer it in here.

George can find himself in trouble not of his own making.

Um, he's left the building.

I've got his mum coming to pick George up.

Right. Cos there was something involved with it.

It's been bubbling for months and months and months.

-But I thought it had gone quiet.

-OK, I'll look at...

Year 11 jumped George.

George gave the mouth back. It's a big, stocky Year 11.

Fortunately, I was about this close to it as it kicked off.

He just come past me looking at me.

Then he stopped and then he grabbed me,

and loads of people started circling me.

LEAP staff are experienced at dealing with situations like this.

You're doing all the right things, George, you're calming down.

Obviously, if somebody smashed a glass frame over my head...

-You what, mate?

-It don't bother me.

-It don't bother you? It should do.

Right, you sit down and chill. Thank you.

Come here.

So far, you have done everything right. Don't blow it now, OK?

-Mr Phipps, is my nan there now?

-Say again please?

Is my nan coming up?

Oi. Move on, OK? You were involved in an incident.

You are not mature enough to deal with it. Move on.

Do not escalate it, OK? Your nan is coming up. Why? Because she cares.

So say, "Nan, sorry to inconvenience you.

"It happened. I tried to get away from it.

"Unfortunately, I tried to throw a bin at Mr Phipps. But hey-ho."

Did I get in fights as a child?

I wish I could say no, but unfortunately, I must say yes. Em...

far too many, I am afraid to say.

But I did move school one, two,

three, four, five times

in three years. And it used to be, "You new?"

"Yes, I'm new." "Can you fight?"

"No." Smack.

"Are you new?" "Yes, I'm new."

"Can you fight?" Then I'd smack.

So the same question, it was just a question of who got

the first punch in. It's called survival.

So I understand where some of these kids are coming from.

Because it's a different world that side of the gate

from this side of the gate.

They are safe this side of the gate, cos we ensure it.

But...I can't control what goes on out there.

Here is the biggy with you lot, guys. How many of you...?

George is easily distracted.

In previous classrooms he's frequently been

sent home for playing up.

How often do you write lots of words and lines without your commas?

Without your full stops and...?

George was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of nine.

Try and use a wide range of adjectives in your story.

Go on, you read it out.

Sh, shray...

Read every single word before you decide, OK?

He's been in LEAP just four months.

They decide to re-test his reading ability.

-Chalk.

-Chalk...draw...ings...

-Good boy.

-..they made on the...

volume.

The ship sail...sailed into the

safe...safety of the...sand?

What you think? You put what you think.

-Excellent work.

-Well done.

You answered all 25 questions, OK, you worked really well there.

At the moment, the reading age that it's giving you

is that of an eight-year-old.

-OK, OK?

-It's nothing new, honestly. Loads of kids...

That's how it is, that's where we're starting out with a lot of you.

-It's not a problem.

-We'll get you a colour, you can pick a book.

And then we'll bring it over to LEAP and keep it.

-This one.

-Don't Be Horrid, Henry. Do you want that one?

Yeah. Don't be Horrid, Henry.

'I'm not shocked about his reading age at all.'

This will be across schools across the country.

You sit at the back and don't raise too many questions,

and the teacher, because of the sheer volume of kids she deals with,

they can just slip through the system.

LEAP will now give George one-on-one reading sessions to help him.

Right, come on, I am going to hear one page today,

because I'm going to date it, sign it

and you are going to start your new beginning!

-Go on.

-"Henry was a horrible baby."

-Horrid.

-"Horrid baby."

George is classified as having special educational needs.

-"Who's my little..."

-Plumpikins.

-"Plumpkins."

-Plumpikins!

Well done, well done.

Nationally, 70% of kids permanently excluded from school

have special educational needs.

Head of Baverstock Academy Thomas Marshall set up LEAP

as he is opposed to excluding any child and denying them

a chance of a mainstream education.

We are not on a crusade at all.

It's just about, they're our kids, they come through the door

when they are 11 years old and...

..this is our one chance,

and I don't want to waste that chance. And I am not saying

at all we get it right with every one, but we are going to try.

You OK, Miss?

By placing the disruptive kids in LEAP,

he is seeing improvements across the school.

It's just nice to see students on task and learning,

and actually in the classrooms.

The area of my circle is pie r squared...

But he is determined the kids in LEAP

still get an equal opportunity to be educated.

What LEAP has allowed the school to be able to

benefit from is that the student can come out of that class where

they are disrupting and go into LEAP and get the support that is needed,

and the rest of the 29 students in that class are able to learn.

And the teacher is able to teach,

and they are able to teach to a higher level.

Across England, many excluded kids end up in pupil referral units,

where less than 20% get five GCSEs.

The challenge the headmaster has set LEAP

is to get 100% of its kids five GCSEs at grade C.

Can I smoke my fag though, sir?

-No, darling.

-Please.

-No.

-I've got a lesson.

Right, you've got one or two more periods.

Can you survive for another hour?

She's got morning, I've got a lesson.

-15-year-old Chelsea is LEAP's conundrum.

-No.

-Please!

She's bright, but can't focus.

I didn't start here, I got chucked out of another school,

and then I came here.

I dunno...

I just find school hard, very hard. I don't like school,

so that's probably one of the reasons! Cos I don't enjoy school.

I suppose if I enjoyed it I would be all right,

but I don't, so...

I just clash with everybody.

Well, teachers.

No-one else.

An octopus or a...? S-Q...

Squid, isn't it?

Most of the time, Chelsea is well-behaved,

but her attention can wander.

Chelsea, have you got at least one detail about the forest so far?

From the first paragraph, have you found a detail about the forest?

-A fact about the forest?

-If they are off task, sir, I will have them.

And I will phone home and put them on study,

because if they don't get it right now, we are wasting our time.

Bring your paper and we'll have a look on the couch. Come on.

-Why?

-Because I want to.

Now, the next question won't be a question, it will be an order.

Chelsea is one of 30 kids from LEAP who will be

sitting their GCSEs in six weeks' time.

-I ain't putting up with this any more.

-Putting up with what?

Lack of effort, chatting, distracting others.

I'm not distracting no-one!

Well, you're not doing any work, so therefore...

That doesn't mean I'm distracting anybody.

They are distracting you, then,

-aren't they? Because you are not doing any work.

-How's that my fault?

So what do you want to do? I don't mind. Your choice.

Don't even talk to them as you go in.

Bring your work, let's have a look.

Watch your mouth otherwise your day's going to be very short.

Someone's bag got robbed and someone's coat and keys,

so I don't really like leaving my stuff any more.

She is kicking off and being disobedient

and creating issues because she just doesn't want to engage.

We have to find out why she doesn't want to engage,

because underneath all of that is a very smart, able child.

And I need to find out how I can reach her.

The moment we can do that, we can move her forward.

It's going to be fun.

Before they arrive at LEAP,

many of the kids are out of school for several months.

Across England, Ofsted estimates that 10,000 kids were

missing from full-time education in 2013.

15-year-old Chloe has missed ten months.

On your maths book, it's a brand-new maths book.

And someone has put "slag" on the front cover.

Right, someone's put "slag" on the front cover.

Chloe can be disruptive in class and suffers from bullying.

'Bullied quite a lot in Year 7.'

Just the way I looked and stuff

cos I didn't fit in with everyone else.

HE MUMBLES

Her book was just sitting on top like that.

-Yeah.

-Whether it happened this morning, I don't know.

This isn't just your lesson,

it happens in every lesson, apparently, she's saying.

Oh, every lesson.

A girl thought that I liked someone that she was seeing

so she started loads of arguments all the time.

I couldn't have Facebook or Blackberry Messenger

or anything cos she'd do stuff on there.

She put up pictures of other people's body parts

saying that they was mine and stuff.

It's ten days she'd been out of school for, or nine,

and to come back and find that on her book,

which is a brand-new book...

I don't like being hated by everybody.

I just come to school so I can get a good job when I'm older...

..and have better life for myself.

Apparently... I mean, I wasn't aware of this, was you?

Each time she has a book, somebody graffitis it with the word "slag".

Find out who all of her teachers are.

-Tell sir it's his responsibility for that book.

-OK, thank you.

When you think, if kids were just coming to school

to be educated, it would be a good job, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, that's only part of our job these days.

Just be aware I have addressed the situation.

Everybody is aware and everybody is going to be vigilant, all right?

And if you get another book and somebody's written on it,

I want them over in LEAP,

so at least I have a catalogue of the writing.

-All right?

-All right, thanks.

-OK, darling.

-See you tomorrow.

-Bye.

I mean, she used to cry all the time

and it used to get us all down,

because, obviously, you feel like you're failing as a parent.

She couldn't even go out the house.

Literally, you know, to the shop or stuff,

because somebody would make a comment

-on what they'd heard at school.

-I went through a similar thing

and left school quite early with no GCSEs or anything.

And I... We've spoke about it, haven't we?

I've said to her, you know, I don't want the same thing for you.

I was home schooling her for a while.

I used to go and fetch the work from school every day

and bring it home and sit every day, good as gold,

get all the work done.

I would take it back, get another lot.

And it worked quite well, didn't it, for a while?

But then obviously it's come to a point now where I need to find work.

Baverstock Academy sits in the heart

of an economically-deprived part of Birmingham.

Nationally, kids from areas like this

are far more likely to be permanently excluded.

Many end up in pupil referral units where each place costs

upwards of £12,000 a year.

LEAP's costs are half that price.

But the school's policy of inclusion is not without its challenges.

Is he all right? How many mugged him?

He went to the shops with his sister who's pregnant and they jumped him?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how hurt is he?

Right, you tell him I need him in school ASAP, OK?

Cos I do not want this to spoil his future.

All right. Appreciate that one.

Each child is given a mentor.

So make your decision - what are you going to do?

Cos if you refuse to go back to lesson,

I'm going to have to have your mum up.

-I don't care.

-OK, then.

The kids have personal timetables based on what they can achieve.

Because you're in such a good mood this morning

with a nice smile on your face,

am I going to get two periods from you or three periods from you?

Two. I've got to go out, meet my mum.

Right. I need a note to say that as well, OK?

Go on, then, darling. All right.

Do I do two hours a day now?

-I did say two, didn't I?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

I'll always try and get that extra one from you

but two I'll be happy with.

Government guidelines are, you provide 25 hours of teaching a week.

And when OFSTED visited me the first time and the second time

and the third time, it's a question that I just have to be honest about.

I cannot provide 25 hours.

And...

..they came to the same conclusion that I came to.

CAR HORN BEEPS

Erm, you know, these children, these students

get up, they travel to school,

they attend school for one hour, two hours or three hours.

Then they go home. There's a routine -

these are children that wouldn't have routines.

Let's look at the alternative -

if they weren't in school, where would they be?

LEAP's main focus has been to help all their kids pass five GCSEs.

But this year, the government has imposed new targets.

They've made it compulsory that all children must get maths and

English at minimum grade C or face resitting them until they are 18.

If I've got 2x squared, times 2x squared, that would be...

Maths is Chelsea's weakest subject.

What I could do to signify that and have x + 1 on each side...

What?

Chelsea, put yourself in the chill room, please, darling.

Put yourself in the chill room, please, darling.

As I walked out the room,

Mr Keeves was standing there and instantly you turned away.

Now I don't think you did any talking

but you actually turned away.

What message have you given?

-I didn't realise that I turned my back on him.

-I know...

That's good because you didn't realise

cos what we're saying to you, you're not realising that you did that, OK?

And you acknowledge that.

Communication and the strategies between you and sir don't exist.

I've got a very easy solution, non-negotiable.

For the remainder of this week, you will do period four or five.

-I don't want to do one-to-one.

-Oh, yes, you will.

You will do four or five for this relationship to be rebuilt.

That's non-negotiable, and I'm not having a go...

SHE MUMBLES

All you have to do is period four or five for the rest of the week,

problem solved. Thank you.

Talk to sir and Mrs Cole about how it's going to be dealt with,

and if not, if you go out this door and it's not resolved,

then I'm going to have your parents up.

I hate the way he speaks to me.

-FEMALE:

-In what way, what is it?

-It's patronising.

-MR KEEVES:

-Well, if I am patronising, I simp...

I really do not mean to be.

If I don't get something, you point it out to everyone.

Well, if we're working one-to-one, that won't be a problem.

The only thing I don't like about you is the fact that you do disrupt

the lessons, you don't do things that I ask you to do straightaway,

but as a person and as your maths ability, as I know, is good,

I know that you're capable of getting a GCSE in maths, that...

and I like you as a person.

It's always your lesson, your lesson, that I get in trouble.

-OK.

-So it's not just me.

Cos if it was just me, it'd happen in English, it would happen

in leisure and tourism, it'd happen in whatever lesson I was in.

-That's how I know it's not just me.

-OK.

OK, you've said that, now that's good,

cos you've said how you feel, haven't you? Yeah?

And he's said how he feels.

So maybe working that one-to-one over the next few days will overcome

all that and understand each other a little bit better.

I think it's a good thing. I really do.

-Is that all right, then?

-I suppose so.

-Thank you.

Come back... Come tomorrow with that, yeah? OK?

-Right, then. OK, then.

-OK?

Case over!

Any percentage that you can see,

you can rewrite it as that number over 100.

'What do we do different in here

'than we do in a mainstream environment?

'That's quite interesting.

I've had nine teacher friends say, "Why aren't they just thrown out?'

"If they don't value education, just get rid of them,"

and, "Surely the parents must be able to control them."

But it's not about control

and it's not about where they're coming from.

It's about where they're going.

'Because of the size of the groups that we teach here, five, six,

'seven and eight, the kids know that we have that empathy with them,

'that we'll support them,

'that we'll unpick that baggage, we'll tell them'

that it's not their fault or how to deal with it,

or to focus on their GCSES or to focus on their future

and to move themselves from that situation because they know

we care...and that's the most important thing about what we do.

We care. We have a relationship with them

and their parents and we will never throw them out

we'll always give them the tomorrow to come back and have a fresh start.

-Come on.

-Oh, sir, why are you going to choose this way?

Cos it's the quickest, come on!

15-year-old Andre is one of LEAP's success stories.

Two years ago, he was in a pupil referral unit

and almost unteachable.

I was just argumentative. I must have called...

What did I say now? I called the teacher something,

I had my last chance and I must have called the teacher something

and then they must have ripped my sharing panel forms

and they just sent me home and told me not to come back until they call,

and then I didn't even go back.

I don't know if I want to get kicked out of school

cos this is the last chance saloon, innit?

I don't want to be living on the street and that.

I'm going to pass you a photograph.

The photographs are taken in the city of Leicester.

Andre is predicted to pass five GCSEs.

With a range of adjectives in it...

The challenge for LEAP is to insure he stays on track.

Andre. Move.

Agh! You waster!

I've got a quality teacher giving you a fantastic opportunity

to pass your GCSE English.

Why, therefore, do I have to sit there and watch you poke somebody

-with a pen under the table.

-He poked me, so I poked him back. That's it.

-One, two, three, four...

-I only done it once.

-I counted four.

-I only done it once.

-I counted four.

-I only hit him once.

-Ah, I didn't say how many times I saw you hit him.

-OK.

-No, it's not OK, cos you...

-I didn't say it was OK. I said OK.

Now you are sitting on the couch because I can't trust you

in one of the most important subjects you're going to be taught.

What do you want me to do with you?

You should be a model student in there. You should be walking around

ten feet tall, telling everybody how brilliant you are

and how many exams you're going to pass.

I'm disappointed in the fact that you don't understand

how important that subject is to you.

Whenever possible, LEAP will

try to integrate their kids back into mainstream classes.

Exclusion is turned into inclusion.

-Hiya.

-All right? There you go.

Today, Andre is attending his first math's lesson in the main school.

As long as it's different from what's up there,

we want to put as many as we can, there's 16 different ones...

'The transformation he's made over the last year'

is huge, he's learning... As I say to him often,

he's made more progress than anybody else I've got.

But his starting base was so low, it was just off the scale.

If I'd had him for another year, he'd be in second set probably.

Moving Andre back into mainstream classes means he's on track

to pass his GCSEs and fulfil his ambitions of becoming a fireman.

-INTERVIEWER:

-What draws you to being a fireman?

Huh? I dunno, just helping,

just helping people and I think I can do it, so...

I think I'll be good at it, so I just chose to try to see

if it'll work out for me.

15-year-old Chloe also splits her lesson time

between the main school and LEAP.

Come on in, then, sweet.

The school has clamped down on the bullying

but her attendance is still poor.

OK, so really it's just a catch-up now, to see how things are going.

Your attendance is about

-at least 20% below the national average.

-Yeah.

I know up to now, you've had chunks of time off school

and you've always managed to come back and sort of catch up because

you're a bright girl, you really are a bright girl,

but the pace picks up in year 11 and things are going to get harder,

so if you continue to have time off,

-you're going to find it harder and harder to catch up.

-Yeah.

So have you got any worries or issues

outside in the classrooms at the moment? Are you getting any

verbal bullying or hearsay bullying, passed on from another person?

Not face-to-face in the school,

-like, outside of school for the past week...

-Yeah?

..it's always... It's for, some reason...

It's always around 11 o'clock on the night, I'm getting phone calls.

So you either think...

you're going to make the decision, "I want to go to the police..."

..or you are going to make that decision,

"I want that number blocked,"

but, either way, I feel you should be doing something.

I can have a word with Mum if you prefer?

I think being in LEAP where there's less people to communicate with

and more time one-on-one with the teachers to learn subjects

that you're struggling with and things...

It's easier to be in LEAP,

where you can have one-on-one sessions with teachers.

I think it's easier.

Baverstock Academy works hard to protect their pupils,

but cannot always control what happens out of school.

Unfortunately, we had an incident yesterday,

where one of our boys was jumped by a few of the other boys

in the alleyway down here. Er, for want of a better word, an ambush.

Um, five, possibly six on one.

They've all been put out while the police do their investigations.

Um, the young man we've arranged taxis for,

to get him in and out of school for this week.

Unfortunately, he hasn't come today.

Obviously, still recovering from the punching he had yesterday.

Andre was one of the six boys from LEAP involved in the attack.

The school must consider excluding all the boys,

if they are assessed to be a threat to other pupils.

I think this place now at the moment is not safe, is it?

-No.

-And the effect that, if we bring these kids back,

in any kind of manner, the effect it's going to have on years to come.

But you know, you've also got Year 9s and 8s who will know these lads.

They will know what they've done

and they will think it's OK to do the same.

-HE SIGHS

-Tough call, innit?

I know, I mean, is just having them back

showing to them and to the rest of the group here

that it really doesn't matter what you do...

You can go and beat the shit out of somebody down there -

pardon the language -

but still come back to school.

These five boys intended to hurt this kid.

And...if I just say, "That's it, put them out,"

we haven't changed their views on their future.

Do you think that we, as providers,

should still give these kids an opportunity to still turn it around?

Even if they were in a detention centre-cum-whatever,

-they would still be educated.

-I know. I agree.

And that is what we've got to look at.

No matter what, they would still be expecting to have an education.

And it doesn't cut well with me.

It really doesn't. It goes against the grain. But also...

My other side of things is that I'm here to educate children.

They need an education.

All right, we're prepared to work until five a couple of days

and they come in 3:30 until five o'clock

and do an hour and a half that way.

-Why not?

-Like...?

-Offer it 3:30 till five.

-They won't come in for five, but the offer's there, isn't it?

-During...

We can be flexible with time of day.

-We can work till five.

-During...

-We're professionals.

It's a fantastic option.

You guys all putting yourself out for kids that...

-As Karen says, we're often here till five or near anyway.

-Yeah, so...

-OK.

Right, I'll give that some thought during the course of the day.

-Thank you for sharing my dilemma.

-That's all right.

But I think you'll agree we can't just wash our hands with these kids.

Baverstock Academy decides not to exclude the six boys,

but in order to protect the victim, they are taught out of school hours.

-Do you understand why I was annoyed?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-You're never going to do it again?

-Nah, nah.

-Good.

I've done half of it.

If you were still here, I'd throw you out, you know that?

-Yeah?

-Have you not done the work?

-No.

-No.

-Do you know what? You've let me down.

-It's hard, man!

I tried to do it. It's hard.

So guess what you're going to be taking home for homework

and guess where you'll be coming back on Friday afternoon?

That's your homework.

All this, we'll put aside, but that's your homework.

Conditions are placed on Andre and the other boys.

They will have to sit their GCSEs off-site.

For me, if you exclude a child, you know,

how can you ever break that cycle that they're in and...

and they become parents and they know no different.

That school wasn't successful for them and that, you know,

education doesn't work.

The first step in breaking that cycle

is identifying the children who need help and intervening early.

Baverstock Academy has a dedicated team of behavioural specialists.

Did we do work experience at a hairdresser's?

You can't stay in school with pink hair.

Helen Price is head of the team.

It's very colour pretty pink.

OK, cool, right, you get yourself off down to Bip.

Miss is waiting there for you. You know where it is, don't you?

-Yeah.

-Back of the hall. All right, Jess?

-Fine.

I have got some updates from Charelle.

Helen meets with the heads of year regularly

to decide who needs to be moved to LEAP.

It's better, it's much better than it was.

He went through a real phase of being really quite disruptive

and putting him in Focus definitely made a difference,

That has improved his behaviour no end.

He's got 52 negative e-portals and is in Focus.

Helen and the team will assess a child's behaviour and welfare

for many weeks before making a recommendation.

Is he being supported by one of the student social workers

at the moment for his attendance?

-I've been to his house a few times on home visits with Judith.

-Right.

He's on 61% attendance.

He is a LEAP candidate.

With the GCSES exams looming,

LEAP's role within the school is more important than ever.

-Thank you very much. Thanks for coming down.

-That's OK.

Right, I need your help. I've got two students in mainstream

at the moment who are starting to rear their heads.

I can't allow them to be influencing,

upsetting the learning of others in those groups.

Have you got space for them?

I'd really like them in within the week, if possible.

We've got 45 in at the moment. 32 of them are Year 11s.

I don't know how we'll fit them in, to be honest.

Don't forget, we've got two, possibly three students who will be

going into mainstream pretty well full-time over the next week.

-It's not just...

-They're already into some of their lessons.

If you've got students getting ready to go back into mainstream,

that is going to be of real benefit to them, isn't it?

Because those class teachers now are starting to focus in on those exams.

You know we'll have to take them

and we have to find a space. See where we can fit them in.

And if you need me to speak to the parents,

again just making it very, very clear as to why.

We're not abandoning them in any way.

They are going to get their grades that they're capable of getting

and beyond, but actually this is the big picture for all.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

BELL RINGS

For Baverstock Academy, the pressure is now on.

In a few weeks, the Year 11 pupils will be taking their first exam.

To try and get the kids over the line

on the government's new targets,

LEAP is focusing solely on Maths and English.

We have got a specialist here to teach you the techniques

that you need in order to pass.

If you don't engage, you're not going to do well.

A couple of you were this...

HE SNORES

What is the point?

I cannot give you time.

Something I have not got control over.

You have got such a fantastic start to passing that GCSE.

So when you have Mr Turner next,

I want you switched on and I want you focused.

And you Year 10s who think, "Well, I've got another year,"

You haven't, guys. Your time starts now.

If you fail your GCSEs, you are going to go

and repeat those two years again at college with people that,

let's be honest, are not the most interesting people to be with

or start to move those grade boundaries up.

E, D, C.

Thank you, sir.

Chelsea is being given a one-on-one math's lesson.

Round this table, please.

Wherever you want to sit.

Right, percentages.

We want a percentage. 25% of 200?

-Chels?

-Yeah, I'm listening.

-25% of 200.

-What's 2 x 25?

-I don't know.

2 x 5 is? 10. 10.

Carry the one. 2 x 2 is 4, plus the 1 is what?

Do I really look that stupid?

What's the problem? What's the matter?

He's saying to me, "What's two times zero?"

-He's asking me things and making me look like an idiot.

-I'm not...

"What's two times zero?" Like I don't know!

-What is two times zero?

-Zero! I'm not that stupid.

-Well, just tell me!

-You're asking me dumb questions!

-All I want...

-You said, "2 x 20?" I've obviously got it wrong!

'She's turning her back on me all the time.'

-OK.

-I mean, so it's very difficult to see what she's doing.

And if I was sat the other side, she turns round the other way.

I'll tell you what. In a chair, doing her work...

HE LAUGHS

..part...partly engaging...

give or take the odd turn of her back to you...

and "Why am I here?"

-that's not bad.

-Oh, yeah.

-But what a journey.

-Yeah.

-Empathise and stress it's important she comes in tomorrow.

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah.

-OK?

-Right. I'm going to get a drop of water.

-Go on, then.

I'm going to go and have a quick chat to her now.

You know what? Don't you ever say to me again you can't do this.

All right? Cos, like... This isn't just foundation maths.

This is actually intermediate maths, OK,

which means that you're in the B border.

Yeah?

You know what one of your biggest problems are? You are stubborn!

-I'm not stubborn.

-What do you mean you're not stubborn?!

You ARE stubborn, OK? Well done, that's good.

I cannot afford to let her fail.

She's capable of passing it and...

maybe this is the hurdle that she needs to overcome

in order to be successful as an adult,

because, if I let her fail now,

she'll always choose to disengage when it becomes too tough.

I'm quite nervous about my exams.

Like, I just don't know whether I am going to pass or fail.

And, like, opening the card and seeing "fail",

I'll be really annoyed at myself, more than anything.

Today is the first exam of 2014.

190 children from Baverstock Academy are sitting their English GCSE exam.

Amongst them are 30 kids from LEAP.

Well done, all the best.

Mr Turner's day. He's going to take you over.

Nice and mature.

CHILDREN CHATTER

Wait a minute! Are you all mine?

SHOUTING AND CHATTER

It's just English.

I call your name out, you need to get a pass.

Good luck, guys.

LEAP has promised their pupils five GCSES at grade C.

They need them to turn up.

There's two children that haven't come in. We've got no response

from phone calls that have been going on all day.

So now, we're just going to knock doors

and see if we can trawl the area, see if we can pick them up at all.

For these kids, you always go the extra mile, don't you?

Because they need you to go the extra mile.

Apparently, she knows she's got an exam,

but she's voting with her feet, so let's see what we can do.

-Hello.

-Ya?

-Come on...

-What's the matter?

She should be in an exam now.

-She hasn't told me about this.

-I've told you,

if you don't do this now, you've got to do it again next year.

Come on, you'll be fine.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

Good luck, Chels.

All of you, calm down.

Oh, my God! that's one of our Year 11s from last year.

He was one of the ones, they said,

"He'll never get a job, you know," and he's working!

Quickly as you can, please, guys. Coats and bags on the table.

Hand in your phones. Make sure your lanyards are securely in your bags.

KNOCKS ON DOOR

No, there's nobody in.

I had my doubts that he would be in.

It's such a shame, because he's so capable.

Um, a waste.

A total waste, because, if he sat that exam,

he would probably come out with a C.

OK, the time is now 1:15. You can begin.

We have to trust and we do trust in terms of what our teachers do

in preparing them and we trust the students that they're ready.

Um, once they go through that door, that's it.

-It's the same for every student nationally.

-Yeah.

It's quite interesting, every year, we can't prepare any harder

and, every year, we manage to pull out

more and more and more and the staff are knackered.

They couldn't have prepared these kids any better than they are.

This year, English is one of the two core subjects

all kids must pass at grade C.

An hour into the exam, Chelsea is having difficulties.

Chelsea.

Because she's done no work.

She's been in there over an hour, she's doing nothing.

And now she's saying, "I've done no work cos I need the toilet,

"I can't concentrate."

I'll bring her out, take her to the toilet -

but then we'll put her on the stage,

because if the kids see her go to the toilet,

-they'll ALL want to go.

-Exactly.

If you start with one...

She knows the rules.

We have got a 190 kids in there - she can't get it right,

and we do anything with her

we're putting the wrong message out to the others.

That's why I said about putting her on the stage.

-She doesn't deserves a second chance.

-I know, but...

I tell you what - I know how you care.

We'll have her out, and if she doesn't give you the right attitude

then we'll terminate her paper.

OK. Well, I shall leave that decision with you, then.

-OK.

-If she doesn't give you the right attitude,

-we'll terminate her paper.

-OK.

Sit down for a second first, please.

Come away from the door, come over here.

Please can I go to the toilet first?

Can we come and sit down over here, please?

Sake, man.

I'm going to tell you what it is, OK?

I can ask miss now, for disruption in the exam hall,

to terminate your paper. That means you will not take any further exams.

-I've been asking for how long...

-Makes no difference.

The same rules apply to the other 190 kids in there.

Attitude stinks.

The question is, miss is prepared to give you another chance.

Or I end it now.

-So, what do you want to do?

-I can't do it.

Is that what the problem is, Chelsea?

-Tell her to stop fucking recording.

-No, it's OK.

But Chelsea, can I just say one thing, sweet, before you walk away?

Let me just say this - you've got to hear what I say.

The exam officer calms Chelsea down and allows her back in.

So, deep breaths.

And miss will tell you where to go.

Oh, it's so sad.

She can't read the questions, she doesn't know what they're asking.

She said, "I can't read it, Miss." And that's why she got so upset.

And when she started turning away - she's really, really, embarrassed.

The exam officer recommends that Chelsea's reading ability is tested.

Not once did it cross my mind that she couldn't read the paper.

Not once.

She was so good at masking that...

inability.

That it-it caught me.

It shocked me.

We're here to find out why these kids can't engage.

And we went through all our bag of tools,

and all our reasons of why other kids have not engaged in the past.

And Chelsea was the first.

And we will have to change the way we analyse our kids now.

Because we won't allow that to happen again.

The test showed that Chelsea has below average reading ability

and comprehension.

She's allocated a reader for the remainder of her exams.

You know when you said it all went blank,

I understood what you meant, and I had been saying that,

and you've had your test and you've now got a reader,

-so nothing can go blank.

-Yeah.

-Right?

What she can't do is read the whole comprehension for you.

She can read the question - or he, whoever it is -

read the question.

You put your hand up, right?

And you bring them over, and use it - do not sit there like...

All right? Do you promise me that?

-Yeah.

-No, are you clear on that?

Because I can't go in there with you,

and Carol Moseley, the exams person, can't go in with you,

but we all want you to do this to help you.

It's maths exam day.

All the best, guys.

Remember, it is just another day in your life,

it's not that important.

If you pass it, well done.

If you don't pass it, I'll kill you.

With literacy and numeracy now being prime education targets,

it's another subject the government has said every pupil must pass.

Come on, I was worried about you!

I feel sick.

You can be sick over your paper,

but after you've put something on it.

Not the sick.

-Have you found Chelsea?

-Not yet, no.

They are concerned Chelsea won't turn up today,

because maths is the subject she struggles with most.

OK, if we start to do calling, guys.

Right, these students are going into the gym.

OK? So, lower gym.

And just remember, if you fail, I'm sacking him.

-OK?

-Yeah, so it's me that's gone.

-Eh?

Good luck, everybody.

Chelsea arrives right at the last minute.

Chels, just do the best you can, darling. All right?

You've got to go to the gym, haven't you?

Right, because you've built a relationship with miss,

-take them over, miss, will you?

-Yeah. Do you want to come...?

I am so proud of you two.

I tell you what - if I could sum up teaching today,

it's seeing you two in. And with a smile, too!

Knock me over with a feather.

What an achievement.

Wow.

Oh...

I'm so proud of that young lady.

The 30 kids from LEAP

will now have to wait several weeks for their results.

Next year, George will be sitting his GCSEs.

Two months ago, he was found to have the reading age

of an eight-year-old.

Today, his progress is being put to the test.

"Gavin sat up with a smile when Nadia

"said she was going to show the kiss of life."

That's definitely it.

"His...pet snake got out." Yep.

"Didn't see JJ's skateboard and landed with a crash."

Yep, that's it.

Next...

100%.

Whoa! Well, I never.

-That's really good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant.

100% on this quiz this time, and he's got a bigger, wider book.

I'm going to put a merit on for him.

-Definitely.

-I mean, look, he's put 100% on that one there, the quiz.

100 - he's gone from 60 to 100.

Well done, son.

To me, the feeling you get as a teacher or as a mentor

or, you know, helping them in any way,

to see somebody like George pick a book up

and get that out of it, what he's got out of it,

to me is better than 20 GCSEs for him at this stage,

because he is opening his world to other things

that he would have never have opened to before.

You remember when I couldn't read?

Yeah, you couldn't even tell the time.

-No, I know, I still can't.

-Can't you?

-No.

What's the time now? Go on.

Nah, I've got digital, here.

THEY LAUGH

In George's case, LEAP has identified an underlying cause

of his behavioural issues early.

But some kids can go through the majority of their school life

with problems undetected.

Sometimes, I'd sit there and play up.

Well, not play up - just mess around and be silly,

chat to someone next to me.

Just cos I wanted too.

But then other times I done it...

..yeah, just cos I couldn't do the work.

If they asked me to read out loud, I'd just say no,

and if they keep asking and asking and asking, I'd just kick off.

Because I generally, like, can't read out loud.

Well, I can, but I can't, at the same time.

And no-one had ever picked up on anything,

because normally you get picked up -

stuff like that you get picked up in primary school or something.

Or... Me other school didn't pick up on it.

It's not simple enough just to say that they're disruptive pupils

or they're naughty.

It's easy to, obviously, give that label.

It's far more than that.

As you can imagine, there are issues that are going on

outside the school, there are issues in their lives,

and sometimes things that - even when we get really close to them -

that we don't even know about, and we never learn about.

If we can do something about it... And that's what LEAP does.

It does something about that, it listens to them, it understands,

but it doesn't give that as an excuse.

And getting them back into mainstream will allow them

to achieve those GCSEs of the highest standards,

and that's what our aim is.

Morning, young man.

Whatever the results are, I'm proud of you, OK?

Today, 600,000 kids across England are collecting their GCSE results.

ALL CHATTER

It's judgment day for the teachers and 30 pupils of LEAP.

Oh, well done!

Well done!

How have you done, Lauren?

That's fantastic!

So, two merits,

C in English -

absolutely brilliant!

Despite breaking down during one exam,

Chelsea still managed to complete the rest of her subjects.

So, Chels - let's have a look how you've done.

Come on!

-Come on.

-You can have a look.

-All right, then.

-I'll tell you what you got, all right?

-Don't open them!

All right, ready?

All right?

I can see it already...

You got four Cs, two Bs and a D.

You chat shit.

C, C, B, B, C, C and a D.

-Ahh!

-F, F, E, E.

Well done.

Chelsea got good grades in most subjects,

but failed to get the minimum C in maths and English.

She will have to resit them next year.

Check whether your name's down there.

-Hello, Andre? ON PHONE:

-Yeah?

Do you want to know what your results are?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Right...

Andre is out of Birmingham for the summer.

ICT, you got two Cs.

Two Cs?

-Yeah, two Cs.

-Yeah. Science, with me, you got...

two Cs.

-Yeah?

-Business studies - two Cs.

-Yeah?

-So that's six higher passes you've got darling, all right?

Yeah.

Then you got an E in your English,

-an F in your maths...

-Yeah.

..and you got a D in your hospitality.

Just missed it. Are you pleased, darling?

Yeah, I'm pleased, miss.

Good, that's good to know, you're pleased.

-You've done really, really well. OK?

-Thanks.

I'm very, very proud of you, Andre, well done.

And tell your brother he's got something to watch, now,

cos you're just as good.

All right, darling.

-Mwah.

-See you, darling.

-Thank you for everything.

-You're welcome.

-Bye, gorgeous.

-You're welcome.

-Oi, you deserve it, Kate.

-All right, darling, see you.

-See you later.

-Bye!

-Thanks, miss.

Bless him!

Well, he's made the step to go to college, which is great.

He wouldn't even have been in school if it wasn't for LEAP.

This kid's walked away now with six Cs.

LEAP failed to meet the government's new targets on English and Maths.

Only 10% got both at grades A to C.

But they delivered on their promise to the kids -

100% got five GCSEs,

60% at grade C.

This is just below the national average.

Those grades would not have been achieved

if we'd permanently excluded them, or we'd let them go,

or we'd isolated them.

It gives them the confidence to know that they can be successful,

and they can fit in society, and there is a place for them,

and that they don't have to mask issues by misbehaving.

And actually, if they get their heads down,

and they learn, and they listen,

they can be as successful as anybody.

Other schools are now looking at what LEAP has achieved,

and some are introducing their own inclusion departments.

The challenge they all face, beyond GCSE results,

is to equip their kids with essential life skills.

"Gavin sat up with a smile.

"'Really, Nadia?'

"'Don't worry Gavin.'"

So...

-"Spike..."

-Yeah, Spike, yeah.

-"..called out,

"'Why is she called Annie and not Anna?'"

-Good boy.

-"'She looks like my sister Anna.'

"Nadia said, 'So, you are learning a...'"

-Val...

-"'valuable...'"

-Oh, good boy.

-"'..lesson tonight.'"

So, you're breaking them down really well.

So you can read well. Right?

-Just practise. All right?

-Yeah.

What do you mean, "Yeah"?!

Right, that is a skill.

Once you master this skill, mate, you are going to go...

Whoosh!

..because you're going to read all your questions in your exams -

because you're very bright, don't ever say you're not -

and the only reason you didn't understand the question

is cos you couldn't read them properly.

But now you will. Yes!

So, no pressure now, I want five Cs, OK?

Five Cs?!