Circumstances: How, Why, and When Children Are Committed to the Approved Schools

This chapter comprises quantitative analysis of the data extracted from the records of the schools themselves. A sample was formed of pupils who were admitted to the school every five years from 1933 until, and including, 1973, totalling around 500 girls and young women. This chapter considers key learnings from this data, including the range of ages of those admitted to the schools, the reason given for the committal order and the associated split between criminal and non-criminal rationales for committal. It also gives an overview of the length of committal periods and short-term post-committal outcomes. Finally, the data has revealed how the Education Act could be used to remove children from their parents if they did not attend school.