Record school suspensions and exclusions show the system is 鈥渢eetering on the brink of collapse鈥, one leader has said, as a post-Covid tidal wave of problems overwhelms schools. But which schools are excluding the most pupils, and why? What can we learn from leaders who have got suspensions under control? And what support do schools say they need from ministers? Schools Week investigates… Suspensions across England soared by 40 per cent last autumn, taking rates to their highest level for the seven years government data goes back. The rate hit 4.13 suspensions per 100 pupils, up from 2.96 the year before, and almost double the pre-pandemic 2.17. Pepe DiIasio Secondaries accounted for 87 per cent of suspensions, which were most prevalent in the north east and Yorkshire and the Humber. Meanwhile, the permanent exclusion rate rose by 25 per cent, from 0.04 in autumn 2022 to 0.05 last autumn. The most common reason for both suspensions and exclusions was 鈥減ersistent disruptive behaviour鈥. Pepe Di鈥橧asio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the figures show that 鈥渢he whole system is teetering on the brink of collapse鈥. Which schools exclude most, and why? Analysis by compared secondary school suspension and exclusion rates pre and post-Covid. It found the average suspension rate between 2017 and 2019 was 10 per 100 pupils, but this rose by two-thirds to 16.4 across 2022 and 2023. However, the rise was much more dramatic among schools suspending the most pupils. The Datalab study found 219 of schools (6 per cent) had suspension rates of more than 50 across 2022 and 2023. This is more than a 200 per cent increase on the 70 schools (2 per cent) with such rates pre-Covid. Astrea Academy Woodfields, in Doncaster, issued three suspensions per pupil on average across 2022 and 2023 (a rate of 305 suspensions per every 100 pupils), the highest in the country. A spokesperson said the school had faced long-term 鈥渃hallenges with behaviour, leading to a very disruptive experience for both students and staff鈥. It had never been rated 鈥榞ood鈥, 鈥渉ad leadership challenges, high mobility of students and very poor attendance rates鈥. The school was rated 鈥榞ood鈥 earlier this year. 鈥楾urnarounds require more suspensions鈥… Second was Outwood Academy Normanby, in Redcar and Cleveland, which averaged 240 suspensions for every 100 pupils. Lee Wilson Its MAT, Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT), had four schools in the top seven. Lee Wilson, its chief executive, said that many of his academies 鈥渉ad been under-performing for years when they joined鈥. 鈥淧art of transforming schools like this involves tackling the poor behaviour that characterises them, so that all students attending them are safe, happy and can learn in lessons that are not constantly disrupted. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to suspend any student, but suspensions in this type of school are often above average.鈥 All but one of the 30 schools that suspended the most were academies. However, 80 per cent of secondaries are now academies. Trusts report suspensions fall An Astrea trust spokesperson said suspensions had fallen by a third since the introduction of a new behaviour approach last year. 鈥淭he rapid transformation of Woodfields meant a change of culture for students and for staff to embed in new expectations,鈥 the spokesperson said. 鈥淪tudents tell us they feel safe and supported at school.鈥 The school with the third highest rate, at more than 200, was Stephenson Studio School, in Leicestershire, which has since closed. Tom Bennett, the government behaviour tsar, said the rising exclusion and suspension numbers 鈥渟peak of the tremendous pressure that staff and leaders are under to keep the school environment safe, calm and dignified. Without that, you cannot protect children (and staff) from harm, and everyone’s educations are ruined.鈥 When exclusions were not used, pupils 鈥済et assaulted, bullied, harassed and their lives made a misery鈥. 鈥nd they do fall (but not all the time) While four OGAT secondaries were among the top seven suspenders across 2022 and 2023, another seven of its academies had among the highest drops compared with pre-Covid rates. One fell by 86 per cent. 鈥淚mproving these schools takes time and progress is not uniform, but in general the behaviour becomes really good after a period of time,鈥 Wilson said. 鈥淭hat means suspensions fall鈥 it鈥檚 something we are working hard at achieving in all our schools.鈥 However, just three of the 10 schools with the highest suspension rates moved into new trusts after January 2019 鈥 suggesting it can take many years at the least for rates to fall. And many people do not agree that school turnarounds require large numbers of exclusions and suspensions. Anne Longfield, who now chairs the Centre for Young Lives, said: 鈥淏eing inclusive is not a soft option. It’s absolutely about setting out with intent and putting the policies in place that will be able to anticipate and support children to stay there. 鈥淏ut there are fantastic examples of inclusive schools that are, through interventions and support, managing to keep almost 100 per cent learning and thriving in school.鈥 She pointed to a report she published five years ago, during her time as children’s commissioner, that found just 10 per cent of schools in England were responsible for 88 per cent of all exclusions in 2016-17. Rising poverty tide overwhelms schools But poverty is 鈥渙ne of the most powerful factors increasing a child鈥檚 risk of permanent exclusion鈥, said a report this year from IPPR and The Difference, a charity supporting leaders to reduce exclusions. Rising poverty is likely to translate into rising exclusions. More than one in three children 鈥 5.2 million 鈥 are now living in poverty, the highest ever, a study by the Social Metrics Commission has found. 鈥楾he pressure on schools to support the poorest pupils is intensifying鈥 Of the 10 schools that suspended the most, between 39 and 58 per cent of their cohorts were eligible for free school meals. Nationally, just under a quarter of pupils receive free meals. The Centre for Social Justice warned in January that 鈥渁s the cost-of-living crisis persists and the relationship between disadvantage and exclusion strengthens, the risk of children living in poverty falling through cracks in the education system increases鈥. As these challenges become 鈥渕ore widespread, the pressure on schools to support the poorest pupils intensifies鈥. But poverty is just one of the post-pandemic tidal waves hitting schools. Children ‘not used to being in school’ 鈥淲e鈥檝e got children who aren鈥檛 used to being in school鈥 and post-Covid there鈥檚 been a spike in people not necessarily wanting to engage in school and education,鈥 said Ann Donaghy, the executive principal of Alvaston Moor Academy. The Derby school issued 176 suspensions per 100 pupils across 2022 and 2023 鈥 among the ten highest in our analysis. Donaghy said last year, 36 per cent of pupils admitted in-year were electively home-educated, adding the school had spare capacity. It had never been rated 鈥榬equires improvement鈥. About 70 per cent of its children were on pupil premium. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got a reputation within the community of being a really tough school to turn around,鈥 she said. The Co-op Academy Grange in Bradford had a suspension rate of 125, a rise of 600 per cent since 2019. Just over half its pupils are on free school meals. 鈥淚t is well-known that these students and their families were the most affected by Covid,鈥 said Chris Tomlinson, thee chief executive of the Co-operative Academies Trust. Like Alvaston, the school also accepts high numbers of in-year admissions, including managed moves of pupils at risk of exclusion. Worsening behaviour 鈥淎 great deal of work has needed to be done to bring these students back to school and reacclimatise them with school routines and expectations,鈥 Tomlinson said. Behaviour data backs that up. Teachers reported losing seven minutes per every half an hour of lesson time to misbehaviour last year, up from 6.3 minutes the year before, the government鈥檚 national behaviour study found. In May 2023, 75 per cent of teachers said pupils misbehaving 鈥渟topped or interrupted鈥 teaching in at least some lessons in the past week, up from 64 per cent in 2022. Di鈥橧asio said there was 鈥渃learly a very serious problem鈥 of increased challenging behaviour and 鈥減ersistent disruptive behaviour鈥. Meanwhile, Teacher Tapp surveys show teachers now cite behaviour as their biggest source of workplace stress, overtaking accountability. More than 55 per cent of pupils also identify it as the 鈥渕ost important issue facings schools鈥, according to Public First polling. ‘A last resort’ But they are much less likely to blame bad behaviour on social factors 鈥 such as pupils having a 鈥渄ifficult home life鈥 鈥 when compared with teachers. However, youngsters whose families receive support from social services and those on child protection plans are about 鈥渇ive times more likely to be suspended鈥 and eight times more likely to be permanently excluded, according to The Difference and IPPR research. Those with the most severe special educational needs are expelled three times the rate of their peers. Jonny Uttley, the chief executive of the Education Alliance in the Humber, stressed that heads needed the right to suspend or exclude as 鈥渁 last resort鈥, with vulnerable children being 鈥渢he ones who most need calm, well-behaved schools鈥. But he said 鈥測ou can have high standards without massively high suspensions. The problem that we鈥檝e had in the system is there are too many people who believe the only way to have a calm school is through zero tolerance, silent corridors and that high levels of exclusion are inevitable.鈥 System creaks under exclusions rise Rising exclusions are also putting more strain on an already fragile school system and creating tensions in regions. Hampshire council, in a submission to the Public Accounts Committee鈥檚 investigation into the SEND crisis, flagged the high number of suspensions and exclusions in 鈥渟everal academies鈥. Authority analysis suggests sponsored secondary academies have suspension rates on average 278 per cent higher than community schools. Rates in voluntary converters are just over 20 per cent higher. Each of the top five suspending secondaries are academies, causing a places crisis in alternative provision. But Hampshire said it had 鈥渓imited means to challenge trusts to act鈥. During a public council meeting for rocketing exclusion rates in Nottingham, David Mellen, the former city council leader, lambasted trusts and 鈥渢heir attitude鈥. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a fragmented system in our country where we have chief executives of academy chains who earn more than any person in this organisation, and yet are unaccountable to the public and can exclude children in a way that seems at a higher level than other people running schools in similar areas,鈥 reported The Nottingham Post. However, many trusts takeover schools that have fallen into 鈥榠nadequate鈥 under council control 鈥 meaning they are more likely to have challenging schools than those remaining under council oversight. Pupils without education as AP overwhelmed But Mellen said last year “saw the highest number of permanent exclusions” in the area, “with over 200 pupils needing to be placed” at council-commissioned AP sites, he said. Authority chiefs fear that if rates persist “it will be unlikely鈥 [for them] to meet [their] statutory duties” to provide alternative provision within six days of expelled pupils being removed from lessons. That鈥檚 already happening elsewhere. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council documents show the authority placed only 1.3 per cent of permanently excluded children into AP within six days in 2023-24. Its target was 100 per cent. The figure has risen to 68 per cent this academic year. Those not getting provision are 鈥渢oo young鈥 or unable to access online provision, the council said. The Difference鈥檚 report showed many youngsters are now entering costly AP 鈥渘ot run by the state鈥, but paid for by councils. Since 2019, there has been 鈥渁 49 per cent rise in children educated in unregistered alternative provision鈥. 鈥淭his is concerning given the lack of regulation and oversight for these placements and the vulnerability of the population,鈥 the report added. So how do we solve this? Public First鈥檚 research showed nearly all teachers who knew an excluded student well said 鈥渢here were signs the pupil was on a path to exclusion鈥. But fewer than two-thirds reported 鈥渢hat these signs had been picked up and acted upon鈥 鈥 meaning early intervention is 鈥渃rucial鈥, but currently 鈥渦nder-resourced鈥. Kiran Gill Kiran Gill, founder of The Difference, wants more sophisticated data that shows 鈥渁 truthful picture of who鈥檚 losing learning鈥. That is because numbers for managed moves, off-site AP and internal isolation are either patchy or not reported at all. When MATs work well to reduce lost learning, they 鈥渓ook across the piece鈥 so they can be honest about whether it鈥檚 falling or not鈥, Gill said. A London Assembly report from 2019 said the true extent of school exclusions was masked. It raised concerns parents were being 鈥減ushed towards managed moves as an alternative to exclusion鈥 and 鈥渆ncouraged by schools to home-educate their child鈥, as it called for more 鈥渁ccountability and transparency鈥 over decisions. Meanwhile, Astrea wants leaders to be 鈥済iven time and support to rebuild relationships with their communities and to re-establish the respect that educational settings should have鈥. Who’s managed to bring down suspensions And what more can we learn from schools in deprived areas that keep suspensions down? Carlton Bolling, in Bradford, is classed as a 鈥渟imilar school鈥 to the Co-op Academy Grange 鈥 one of the highest suspending schools 鈥 on Datalab鈥檚 Schools Like Yours tool. Ross Mezals But Carlton Bolling had just 10 suspensions per every 100 pupils across 2022 and 2023. Ross Mezals, its assistant head, said the secondary is in an area with high levels of organised crime and deprivation, with some pupils not having a mattress to sleep on. Leaders attributed their low figures to, in part, investment in behaviour teams, which provide each year group with two non-teaching specialists to support teachers. It has also opted against taking a blanket approach to sanctions. Decisions around punishments are informed by the child鈥檚 circumstances, needs and home life. 鈥淲ith a one-size-fits-all, you can find yourself suspending students and making the situation much worse because you鈥檙e looking at the behaviour in isolation and not the wider picture,鈥 said Andrew Ingham, the school鈥檚 deputy head for behaviour. ‘We had to change tack’ The Aylward Academy in north London was for 鈥渕any years鈥 in the 鈥渢op 10 per cent of schools for suspensions鈥, said Habib Hussein, its deputy head. 鈥淲e just had to change tack. We were going round doing the same things over and over again.鈥 But after an introduction to trauma-informed behaviour management 鈥 which aims to support children by creating inclusive and safe environments 鈥 and 鈥渕aking teachers understand the importance of the restorative justice approach鈥 numbers tumbled. In 2021-22, the school 鈥 run by Lift, formerly AET 鈥 suspended 168 times. The following year, it fell to 39, taking its rate to 2.8. Carr Manor Community School, in Leeds, has not permanently excluded a pupil in 19 years. Simon Flowers, its executive principal who took over the reins in 2005, said that before his arrival it 鈥渉ad a culture of exclusion鈥, was 鈥渉alf empty鈥 and eyed up for closure by the local authority. Successful initiatives include groups of 10 youngsters from different year groups and backgrounds meeting three times a week to play games and talk about sensitive issues as well as their work. All staff 鈥 not just teachers 鈥 are trained to lead these groups and use 鈥渞estorative practice techniques鈥 to encourage the children to speak to each other. Building 鈥渟kills of relating to each other rolls out into the daily practice in school鈥, according to Flowers. 鈥淲e鈥檝e created a culture where it鈥檚 all about inclusion鈥 consequently exclusion becomes a very rare occasion.鈥 Twenty-seven per cent of Carr Manor pupils are FSM eligible, according to DfE figures. Alvaston Moor has now reduced suspension rates to 12.3 this term, Donaghy said. Since the start of term, it has held on average 10 in-school meetings with parents every day. On-site intervention workshops have also been attended by 115 parents over the past two months. Rise of 鈥榠nternal AP鈥 Alvaston鈥檚 trust has also invested 拢1.5 million in 鈥渁n internal AP and intervention systems鈥, recruiting staff to work with children with additional needs. Schools are 鈥渋ncreasingly responding to rising needs by setting up provision on site [often called internal AP] to support students at risk of exclusion鈥, The Difference and IPPR found. DfE data last year found 鈥渙nly 67 per cent of teachers believe that their school has a clear system for responding when a pupil is identified as needing additional support for behaviour鈥. The Difference said the 鈥渟trongest practice鈥 in internal AP 鈥渟upports exclusion prevention by including a diagnosis of needs, curriculum and/or emotional intervention, and support with reintegration into mainstream classes鈥. But there is 鈥渨idely varied practice鈥, and some forms of internal AP 鈥渃an be a form of exclusion鈥, the report added. A London Assembly paper from 2019 found examples of pupils 鈥渋solated without support for their social, emotional or educational needs鈥. 鈥淢any schools do not have the funding or the staffing to be able to provide intensive support to de-escalate issues and prevent exclusions,鈥 it said. Tomlinson said the launch of Co-op Grange鈥檚 on-site provision had helped 鈥渟ignificantly reduce the number of permanent exclusions and suspensions鈥. Pupils were 鈥渢aught by our staff and [are] following our curriculum鈥. ‘A valuable reset’ Ofsted inspectors recently said the provision was 鈥渉aving an impact for a number of vulnerable鈥 children, offering 鈥渁 valuable reset for pupils who are then able to transition back into mainstream school鈥. Co-op Grange has also introduced a behaviour curriculum 鈥 which sits 鈥渁longside the wider PSHE, RSE and safeguarding curriculum鈥 鈥 with interventions ranging from counselling to boxing and hair and beauty. More solutions are due soon. The Difference鈥檚 lost learning expert panel will hear evidence from leaders, parents and organisations over the next four months. Chaired by Di鈥橧asio, it aims to uncover 鈥減romising work currently happening in pockets across the country and advise on how these ought to be translated into national policy solutions鈥. Panel members include Sir Dan Moynihan, the chief executive of the Harris Federation, and Liz Robinson, the chief executive of the Big Education Trust. 鈥淲e need to have just as much effort in the next decade on the school leadership of inclusion as we had in the last decade on the school leadership of curriculum,鈥 added Gill.
Jack Whiteman 29 November 2024 It鈥檚 simple鈥LT and MATs not supporting classroom staff, but thinking they are supporting staff by saying how relentlessly positive classroom teachers must be with students despite atrocious systematic misbehaviour (disruption, verbal and physical abuse levelled at teaching staff) that leaders are unwilling (or too scared) to tackle directly with both the students and their parents. And, the student spirals. Then staff leave. That鈥檚 your reason.