The use of suspensions by schools has risen sharply again, with exclusions now also above their pre-pandemic rate, according to new government statistics.
Statistics published by the Department for Education show the suspension rate in 2022-23 was 9.33, equivalent to 933 suspensions per 10,000 pupils, up from 6.91 the year before and the highest level since current records began in 2006.
The permanent exclusion rate also rose to 0.11, or 11 in every 11,000 pupils. This is up from 0.08 in 2021-22. This is the highest rate seen since 2006-07, when it stood at 0.12.
The use of both suspensions and exclusions dropped during the pandemic years, but has been increasing again since then, now outstripping levels seen before Covid struck.
‘A wake-up call’
Education minister Stephen Morgan said the “shocking figures are a wake-up call about the problems that have grown in our schools in recent years”.
“They put into sharp focus that too many pupils are being held back by their background and that our education system is failing to meet the needs of children with additional needs.”
He said “every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom and we will always support our hard-working and dedicated teachers to make this happen”.
But he added the government was “determined to get to grips with the causes of exclusions”.
“We’ve already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every secondary school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.
“But we know poor behaviour can also be rooted in wider issues, which is why the government is developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty.”
Disruptive behaviour remains main reason
As usual, the rate of both suspensions and exclusions is higher in secondary schools, which had 1,890 suspensions for every 10,000 pupils and 22 permanent exclusions for every 10,000 pupils.
Persistent disruptive behaviour is still the main reason for suspensions and exclusions. It was behind 444,676 suspensions and 4,972 exclusions last year, up from 289,617 and 3,050 respectively the year before.
The second most common reason was verbal abuse or threatening behaviour towards and adult.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL leaders’ union, said heads “only ever suspend and exclude pupils as a last resort, and therefore this rise would appear to reflect the increasingly complex needs and challenging behaviour we are seeing in schools and across wider society”.
“Behavioural issues are often a result of poor mental health or unmet special educational needs. We desperately need the new government to work alongside the education profession to put support systems in place that ensure young people get the help they need to stop these problems from escalating.”
Pupils can receive multiple suspensions in a year, so the numbers and rate do not equate to the number of pupils issued with suspensions, although that has also increased.
The data shows the number of pupils receiving one or more suspension increased by 20 per cent from 252,500 to 304,000, equivalent to 361 pupils in every 10,000.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
