Work

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

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: 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.

Source: British Journal of Sociology of Education

DOI: 10.1080/01425692.2026.2664171

Author: Clare Woolhouse

Institution: Edge Hill University

Language: English

Topic: Children's Rights and Participation

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Edge Hill University