School exclusions reduced

Brian Blanchflower, the Head at Dunfermline High School, is rightly very proud of his Inclusion Unit which halved exclusions from the school. It's a partnership with Apex Scotland and has been part funded by Fife Council.

I met four of the pupils who had benefited from Karen's (the unit leader) work which addressed and challenged their behaviour and provided them with the tools, skills and confidence to be able to handle life both at and beyond the school. A visit to Perth prison, a discussion with a prisoner and a talk on drugs were just some of the practical ways in which the project reinforced the messages and lessons from the classroom.

Karen has done some magnificent work with young people who needed her. It's a work that has delivered clear results - for the school, the community and most importantly of all the young people themselves.