By Gavin Mackintosh-
Suspension rates for Uk pupils reveal the highest figures for 13 years, new figures reveal today.
The rate of pupils given fixed-term exclusions from school rose for a fifth year running with youngsters handed repeat suspensions said to be driving the increase.
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Government figures published today reveal that the number of fixed-period exclusions, also called suspensions, has risen from 410,800 in 2017-18, up to 438,300 last year, a 7% rise, revealing the highest figure recorded since 2006-07.
Suspensions were highest in secondary schools, where the rate of suspensions rose from 1,013 pupils per every 10,000 in 2017-18 up to 1,075 last year. It remained pretty much static among primary schools and decreased at special schools.
The rise has been driven “most strongly” by more pupils getting repeated fixed-term exclusions, the report said. A total of 84,500 pupil enrolments had two or more suspensions in 2018-19, an increase from 78,900 in 2017-18.
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The statistics revealed that 75% of pupils with more than one suspension missed a total of a week of less, with 29 per cent missing a single day.
Persistent disruptive behaviour was the most common reason for suspensions, making up 31 per cent of all fixed-period exclusions last year (slightly up on 30 per cent in 2017-18).
Physical assault against a pupil accounted for 16% of suspensions, while verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult accounted for 15 per cent of suspensions.
Meanwhile the rate of permanent exclusions has continued to remain stable at 0.10 last year, with the actual number of exclusions dropping by 11 to 7,894 last year.
There were more appeals against permanent exclusions being lodged: 661 last year, an increase of 3.2 per cent on 2017-18.
Of those determined by an independent review panel, 108 (17.7 per cent) were recommended for reconsideration by the governing body, up from 16 per cent in 2017-18.
High Male Permanent Exclusion Rate
The statistics revealed that boys have more than three times the number of permanent exclusions than girls. But the number and rate of exclusions for boys has decreased, while the number of exclusions for girls has increased.
As in previous years, pupils of gypsy/roma ethnic backgrounds had the highest rates of both permanent and fixed-period exclusions.
The rate of suspensions has increased for all other ethnic groups, except black Caribbean and Irish – the DfE report said.
Separate analysis commissioned by Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, published today, shows black pupils in some areas in England are more than three times more likely to be excluded than their peers.
Bad behaviour in mainstream Uk schools has long been a major problem, also cited as one of the contributing factors to mental health issues for teachers. There are many mainstream schools in Britain where very strict behavioural policies and good training have kept the pupils in line.
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