Exploring anxiety and behaviour. Agency, liminality and relational embodiment in a PRU

In recent years teachers and parents struggled to respond to children’s increased levels of anxiety and complex behaviours, which have led to subsequent exclusions from school and high demand for specialist provision. To gain understanding of the situation from the children’s viewpoint, I detail research with a Pupil Referral Unit as a case study. I explore how policy and practice in the PRU can be reinterpreted using collaborative photo-elicitation research with children aged 11-15. I outline situations and experiences they found challenging or confusing to gain insight and unearth unexpected treasure in their perspectives. To do so, I utilise Lefebvrian concepts relating to space, relational ontologies and bodily practices. I discuss the data and share how the findings have influenced changes within the setting. This offers one example of how collaborative work that really attends to children’s voices can respond to their educational experiences and enhance an inclusive school environment.