- School exclusions at record high, 4,168 exclusions in Autumn 2023, up 34 per cent on previous year
- School suspensions at record high, 346,279 suspensions in Autumn 2023, up 40 per cent on previous year
Commenting on today’s Government release of the latest school exclusions and suspension data (Autumn term 2023/24) – Beth Prescott, Education Lead at the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), said:
“Today’s shocking exclusion figures once again highlight the crisis facing our children and schools.
“New data released by the Department for Education today shows there were 4,168 permanent exclusions in Autumn 2023 –a new termly record level and a 34 per cent increase on the previous year (Autumn 2022). The data also shows there were 346,279 suspensions in Autumn 2023, another record level, and a 40 per cent increase on the previous year.
“Vulnerable children continue to be disproportionately affected. Pre-pandemic, children on Free School Meals were four times more likely to be permanently excluded than their peers. Today’s data shows that they are now nearly six times more likely to be permanently excluded. With the attainment gap continuing to widen and disadvantaged children also more likely to be severely absent, failing to get to grips with this seemingly never-ending crisis will further entrench post-pandemic disparities.
“Analysis conducted by the IntegratED coalition in their annual report released today has also shown that, across the 2022/23 academic year, children with Special Educational Needs are also more likely to be excluded.
“CSJ research has uncovered that the impact of the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, high levels of mental ill-health in children and a steady increase in the level of SEND over the last decade are all contributing to a tidal wave of need among children and their families. This is presenting unprecedented challenges for schools, with an increasing number of children struggling to fully engage with their education.
“More than ever we need the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to re-engage children in their education, support struggling families and equip schools to meet these rising levels of need. We also need parents to step up to the mark and help their kids make the most of school. The CSJ continues to call for an inclusion framework for schools, a new Right to Sport for pupils and a National Parental Participation Strategy. Otherwise, we are risking potentially catastrophic and lifelong consequences for our children’s lives, for wider society and for the economy.”
