This publication presents statistics on suspensions and permanent exclusions across state-funded schools.
The publication includes data on:
reasons schools report for suspending and excluding pupils
suspensions and permanent exclusions by pupil characteristics
permanent exclusion independent review panels
The data has been collected in the school census. Data for earlier years is also included.
The latest release provides data from the autumn term 2021/22. Prior to this release, data was published on an annual basis covering the whole academic year. This data is still available here and the latest full academic year of data corresponds to the 2020/21 academic year.
The publication will next be updated with spring term 2021/22 data in April 2023, followed by a full year release covering the whole of the 2021/22 academic year in July 2023, similar to previous years.
Download all data available in this release as a compressed ZIP file
Permanent exclusions
The disciplinary powers that schools currently have, including suspension and permanent exclusion, remained in place throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. The statutory guidance on the suspension and permanent exclusion of pupils from local-authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units is clear all decision must be lawful, rational, reasonable, fair and proportionate. Permanent exclusion should only be used as a last resort.
Permanent exclusion rate definition
A permanent exclusion refers to a pupil who is excluded and who will not come back to that school (unless the exclusion is overturned). This data only includes permanent exclusions which have been upheld by the governing body or Independent Review Panel (IRP), and not those which are still ongoing. The permanent exclusion rate is calculated as the number of permanent exclusions divided by the number of pupils (x100).
While permanent exclusions and suspensions were possible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions will have had an impact on the numbers presented and caution should be taken when comparing across years and terms.
Permanent exclusions have increased in comparison to the previous year
There were 2,100 permanent exclusions in autumn term 2021/22, a rate of 0.03, equivalent to 3 permanent exclusions for every 10,000 pupils.
This is an increase compared to 1,700 in the previous autumn term, but remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, in autumn term 2019/20 there were 3,200 permanent exclusions. While permanent exclusions and suspensions were possible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions in place over this period will have had varying impacts on the number of permanent exclusions in each term and caution should be taken when comparing across years. The table below shows this impact, in particular, the 2019/20 summer term and also the 2020/21 spring term where the number of permanent exclusions decreased heavily.
Data shows that permanent exclusions are typically higher in autumn term each year than the subsequent spring and summer terms.
The rate of permanent exclusions varies by school type
The number and rate of permanent exclusions is highest in secondary, making up 88% of permanent exclusions in autumn 2021/22, with a rate of 0.05 or 5 permanent exclusions in every 10,000 pupils. While the number of permanent exclusions is very low in special schools, the rate of permanent exclusions (0.02) is higher than in primary.
The number of permanent exclusions has increased across all school types
Compared to the previous autumn term, permanent exclusions
increased for secondary pupils (+16%)
increased for primary pupils (+70%)
increased for special school pupils (+41%)
Prior to 2020/21, a single reason could be recorded for each suspension and permanent exclusion. From 2020/21, up to three reasons could be recorded. These reasons were recorded without weighting or prioritisation. As such, the sum of the number of reasons will not match the total number of suspensions or permanent exclusions from 2020/21.
Further, the following new reasons for suspensions and permanent exclusions were added from 2020/21
Use or threat of use of an offensive weapon or prohibited item
Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity
Abuse relating to disability
Inappropriate use of social media or online technology
Wilful and repeated transgression of protective measures in place to protect public health
As multiple reasons could be recorded, the table below and underlying data refer to a total of 2,800 reasons given for exclusion in autumn 2021/22, this relates to the reasons given for the 2,100 permanent exclusions that occurred overall.
The most common reason recorded for permanent exclusions was persistent disruptive behaviour. There were 870 permanent exclusions where this reason was recorded, 31% of all permanent exclusions. This was followed by physical assault against a pupil, with 460 permanent exclusions (16%) including this reason, and verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult, with 360 permanent exclusions (13%) including this reason
Suspensions, previously known as 'fixed period exclusions', refers to when a pupil who is excluded from a school for a set period of time. A suspension can involve a part of the school day and it does not have to be for a continuous period. A pupil may be suspended for one or more periods up to a maximum of 45 school days in a single academic year. This total includes suspensions from previous schools covered by the exclusion legislation.
The suspension rate is calculated as the total number of suspensions, divided by the total number of pupils (x100).
While permanent exclusions and suspensions were possible throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions will have had an impact on the numbers presented and caution should be taken when comparing across years and terms.
The number of suspensions has increased
There were 183,800 suspensions in autumn term 2021/22. This shows a return to the increasing trend in suspensions prior to the pandemic (that is up to autumn 2019/20) and is an increase of 15% from autumn 2020/21, and an increase of 3% from autumn 2019/20, the last full term before the COVID-19 pandemic.
National restrictions affected 2020/21, in particular in the spring term when attendance was prioritised for key worker and vulnerable children. There were also restrictions in 2019/20 affecting the spring term and summer term. The table below shows the impact of national restrictions and school closures, in particular the 2019/20 summer term and also the 2020/21 spring term where the number of suspensions decreased heavily.
Prior to the pandemic, the number and rate of suspensions had been increasing gradually, primarily driven by increases in secondary schools.
The increase is present across all school types
Compared to the previous autumn term, suspensions
increased for secondary pupils (+15%)
increased for primary pupils (+13%)
increased for special school pupils (+11%)
Most suspensions are for a single day
47% of suspensions in the autumn term were for one day or less, and 99% of suspensions were for one week or less.
Prior to 2020/21, a single reason could be recorded for each suspension and permanent exclusion. From 2020/21, up to three reasons could be recorded. These reasons were recorded without weighting or prioritisation. As such, the sum of the number of reasons will not match the total number of suspensions or permanent exclusions from 2020/21.
Further, the following new reasons for suspensions and permanent exclusions were added from 2020/21
Use or threat of use of an offensive weapon or prohibited item
Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity
Abuse relating to disability
Inappropriate use of social media or online technology
Wilful and repeated transgression of protective measures in place to protect public health
As multiple reasons could be recorded, the table below and underlying data refer to a total of 215,300 reasons given for suspension in autumn 2021/22, this relates to the reasons given for the 183,800 suspensions that occurred overall.
The most common reason recorded for suspension was persistent disruptive behaviour, as with permanent exclusions. There were 87,200 suspensions where this reason was recorded, 41% of all suspensions. This was followed by verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult, with 36,600 suspensions (17%) including this reason.
Suspensions and permanent exclusions rates vary by pupil characteristics
The table below shows these rates broken down by free school meal eligibility (FSM), gender, special educational need provision (SEN) and year group.
Gender - Male pupils have a higher permanent exclusion rate than female pupils, with permanent exclusion rates of 0.04 and 0.01 respectively, while the suspension rate for male pupils is almost double that for female pupils.
FSM - The suspension rate for FSM eligible pupils is almost 4 times that for non FSM eligible pupils. The permanent exclusion rate for FSM eligible pupils is 0.07, compared to 0.01 without.
SEN - The highest rate of suspensions is among those pupils with an EHC plan at 6.37, followed by those with SEN without an EHC plan at 6.31. This compares to 1.44 for pupils with no SEN. The highest rate of permanent exclusions is among those pupils who have SEN but no education, health and care plan (EHC plan) (SEN support) at 0.08.
Year group - The suspensions and permanent exclusions rate tends to increase as age and year group increase with the highest rate for each in Year 10, before a small drop in Year 11 again for both.
Permanent exclusion and suspension rates also vary by ethnicity
Gypsy/Roma pupils have both the highest permanent exclusion rate, at 0.12 in the autumn term, and the highest suspension rate at 9.17. Pupils from Traveller of Irish Heritage ethnic group have the second highest rates of both permanent exclusions and suspensions.
Pupils in the Indian ethnic group had the lowest rates of permanent exclusions, while pupils in the Chinese ethnic group had the lowest rates of suspensions.
Both suspension and permanent exclusion rates vary across regions and local authorities.
The highest permanent exclusion rates are in the North East and North West, at 0.04 and the highest suspension rates are in the North East at 3.43 and Yorkshire and The Humber at 3.10. The lowest permanent exclusion rates are in the South East, Inner London and Outer London at 0.01 and the lowest suspension rate is in Outer London at 1.30.
The map below shows the suspension and permanent exclusion rates for each local authority in autumn term 2021/22
The headline figures in this publication cover the Autumn term 2021/22 and comparisons to previous terms are presented. The next publication in the series will add data for Spring 2021/22.
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managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
meet identified user needs
produced according to sound methods
well explained and readily accessible
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