Untold Stories: Parents’ Experiences of Young People Reintegrating from Alternative Provision to Mainstream Education

Abstract

This thesis explores the views and experiences of parents, educational professionals and children and young people who have experienced social, emotional and mental health difficulties and their reintegration from alternative provision to mainstream education. It comprises four chapters: a systematic literature review, a methodological and ethical critique, an empirical study and a reflective synthesis. Chapter One provides an in-depth review of five studies using thematic synthesis. The findings indicate multiple relationship and process factors that act as facilitators and barriers during children and young people’s reintegration into mainstream school and college. These were understood through five broad themes: School Connectedness, Working in Partnership, Reintegration Readiness, Meeting Individual Needs Flexibly Within Context and Systemic Considerations. The findings suggest that in addition to children and young people being supported to develop their readiness for reintegrating into a mainstream setting, accountability also lies with the mainstream settings to demonstrate their readiness to receive reintegrating learners. Chapter Two provides a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings, methodological and ethical considerations and decisions which shaped the empirical study. Chapter Three provides a report of the empirical study which examined parental experiences of reintegration from pupil referral units to mainstream secondary schools for young people who have experienced social, emotional and mental health difficulties. A qualitative approach was taken. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three subordinate themes central to the parents’ stories were developed: Reintegration Readiness, Relationships and Decision Making. The parents’ stories reflect the view that young people’s reintegration success is reliant on their ability to adapt to fit into the mainstream education system, highlighting the enormous expectations placed on young people during reintegration. The author argues that greater focus should be placed on providing more inclusive mainstream schooling, that enables a smoother reintegration for young people, whilst also reducing the initial need for alternative provision placements. Chapter Four provides a reflective synthesis of professional learning during the research project and the implications both as a practitioner and researcher in the field of educational psychology and more widely within the education sector