Commenting on today's Government release of the latest school
exclusions and suspension data (Autumn term 2023/24) – , 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, , 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."
ENDS
The IntegratED annual report 2024 can be downloaded here:
https://www.integrated.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/AnnualReport2024.pdf
Suspending Reality: The crisis of school exclusions and what to
do about it can be downloaded here: https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/suspending-reality
