Suspensions in England’s state schools have jumped to almost a million. For the 2023/24 academic year, there have already been an incredible 954,952 cases logged. As illustrated in this figure, that marks a 21% increase over last year. It spotlights a disturbing trend of increased violence toward teachers and educators in K-12 schools and universities. The data, which was published only in the last few days, shows that this increase in suspensions and exclusions is the largest it has been since 2006.
Exclusion rate rose as well, with 10,885 cases called out, up 16% from last year. Persistent disruptive behavior continues to be the top reason given—making up half of all suspensions and 39% of exclusions. No part of the education system has suffered more than secondary schools, where nine in ten suspensions take place in this educational nook.
The worst suspension rates were for Year 9 students. Alarmingly, one in four of the schools’ population is eligible for free school meals. Yet they make up 60% of all suspensions. Children with special educational needs (SEN) have faced the biggest burden. They are three times more likely to face suspension compared to their peers. Almost half of all suspensions were for students with special educational needs (SEN). Moreover, 88% of the children banned from primary school were being provided additional support for these requirements.
Our youngest students are in a most alarming crisis. Permanent exclusions among primary-age pupils are up by 24% on last year. Over 100,000 suspensions were documented for this age group alone.
When seeing these shocking statistics the Labour government is doing something about it. They’ve introduced initiatives focused on addressing drivers of behavior problems in schools. Education Minister Stephen Morgan praised the government’s commitment to making mental health a priority in all schools. He announced his intention to increase access to free school meals for students. He stated that they have “wasted no time in tackling the root causes of poor behaviour” and are actively listening to parents as they reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.
“We’re also continuing to listen to parents as we reform the SEND system, while already putting in place better and earlier support for speech and language needs, ADHD and autism.” – Stephen Morgan
In addition to these measures, the government is intensively providing support to 500 schools identified as having the worst behavioral issues. That involves setting up attendance and behavior hubs aimed at fostering a better learning experience for every student.
As Paul Whiteman, the General Secretary of the NAHT, said, that would be a huge mistake. He reiterated that schools should be the safest place for all students. He reiterated the need for suspensions and exclusions to be the option of last resort. They need to only happen when we have exhausted all other alternatives to provide safety.
“The reasons for disruptive behaviour often lie beyond the school gates and have their roots in wider challenges, including everything from poverty to access to support with special educational needs and mental ill-health.” – Paul Whiteman
Families have spoken out about the stigma that comes with putting a label on a child who has a hard time managing their behavior. One mother talked about her son, who has been colored with bad labels since he was a young child.
“Since he was three years old, my son has been labelled as the naughty and difficult kid when all he really needed was help.” – Sarah
Each of these statements points to a more troubling societal problem. Children who experience adversity frequently do not receive the support they need during their early years, leading to dire consequences in school environments.
