Students are placed at ALS after being excluded from school or if they are assessed to be at risk of exclusion. In 2019, 45 students were sent to three ALS, with each facility having a maximum capacity of 10 students at any one time. The south metropolitan setting received the most students last year with 17, while north tended to 16 students and the South West 12. Each student remained at the ALS until they were deemed fit to either return to their normal school or be moved to another education setting. Of the 45 students, 12 returned to their original school, seven went to a new school, and six were sent to facilities like the School of Special Educational Needs: Behaviour and Engagement or Curriculum and Engagement In Education.

It is unknown whether the remaining 20 students unaccounted for left the school system altogether or if that number made up for re-offenders who had returned to ALS on more than one occasion. Ms Ellery did not say whether any of the centres reached capacity but affirmed “early encouraging signs” meant the ALS would continue operating until at least the end of 2020. We want to see these students assisted to the point where they can manage their schooling without violent or unacceptable behaviour. SSTUWA president Pat Byrne She said the department continued to monitor and evaluate student progress to continue to strengthen the model of individual support provided, focused on the students' strengths, needs and interests to ensure maximum engagement and effect. The State School Teachers' Union of WA president Pat Byrne said there was an obvious demand and need for ALS, with the potential for further growth in the future.

“If the need increases, we would be arguing for additional resources to provide more centres,” she said. “What we don’t know at the moment is whether there is a waiting list or what its length is.” Ms Byrne said the initial short-term results were positive, with more than half of the students either back at their schools or in alternative placements. “Clearly everyone benefits... the school which is not needing to spend significant time and resources attempting to deal with very difficult students; teachers and other students are not subject to threats of, and actual, violence from these students,” she said. “We would need to do further research to see whether there has been an improvement in the behaviour of those students in the broader community.

“Ideally we would all want to see these students assisted to the point where they can manage their schooling without resorting to violent or unacceptable behaviour.” Loading In the 2019 school year, up until November 27, 12,740 students had been suspended from school for physical aggression and 51 excluded, not all of whom were permanently expelled. Deputy director general of public schools Stephen Baxter said exclusion was the most severe disciplinary consequence for students and was reserved for the most serious breaches of discipline. “A principal may recommend a student for exclusion for a serious breach of school discipline including a violent attack against another student or staff member,” he said.