Academic year 2020/21

Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England

Data on suspensions and permanent exclusions, including by reason, duration, by pupil characteristics and data on independent review panels.

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• Produced by: Department for Education
• Published: 28 July 2022

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• Featured tables

  Featured tables are pre-prepared tables created from a statistical release's data sets. They provide statistics that are regularly requested by users and can be adapted to switch between different categories.

• Data sets: download or create tables

  Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

• Data guidance

  Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

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  Alternatively use our data catalogue to search and filter for specific data sets from this release or our entire library, providing full data summaries, data previews and access to API data sets.

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Featured tables

Featured tables are pre-prepared tables created from a statistical release's data sets. They provide statistics that are regularly requested by some users (such as local councils, regional government or government policy teams) and can be adapted to switch between different categories (such as different geographies, time periods or characteristics where available).

7 featured tables

• Local Authority permanent exclusions and rates 2020/21

  Contains the number and rate of permanent exclusions by Local Authority, all schools (total of primary, secondary and special) 2020/21

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• Permanent exclusion, suspension and pupils with one or more suspension rates, by region, all schools, 2020/21

  Contains the rate of permanent exclusion, suspension and pupils with one or more suspension , by region, all schools (total of primary, secondary and special), 2020/21

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• Permanent exclusions, by term and school type - 2018/19 to 2020/21

  Contains the number and rate of permanent exclusions, by term and by school type (primary, secondary and special), from 2018/19 to 2020/21

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• Suspensions, by term and school type - 2018/19 to 2020/21

  Contains the number and rate of suspensions, by term and school type (primary, secondary and special), from 2018/19 to 2020/21

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• Permanent exclusions and rate, by school type, 2015/16 to 2020/21

  Contains the number and rate of permanent exclusions, by school type (primary, secondary and special), from 2015/16 to 2020/21

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• Number and rate of suspensions, and number of enrolments with suspensions, by school type -- 2015/16 to 2020/21

  Contains the number of suspensions and the number of enrolments with suspensions, by school type (primary, secondary and special), plus rates, from 2015/16 to 2020/21

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• Local Authority suspensions and rates 2020/21

  The number and rate of suspensions by Local Authority, all schools (total of primary, secondary and special) 2020/21

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Data sets: download or create tables

Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

15 data sets available for download

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• 04 - Suspensions - Number of suspensions per pupil (2006-07 to 2020-21)

  National

  Number of pupils by the number of suspensions they have received

  • Number of rows: 1,924
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Number of suspensions
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2020/21

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• 05 - Suspensions - duration of suspension (2006-07 to 2020-21)

  National

  Number of suspensions by length of suspension

  • Number of rows: 2,596
  • Indicators:
    • Number of suspensions
  • Filters:
    • Duration of suspension in days
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2020/21

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• 06 - Suspensions - days missed per pupil in the year (2006-07 to 2020-21)

  National

  Number of pupil enrolments by total length of suspensions accrued across the academic year

  • Number of rows: 2,778
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Number of days missed to suspensions
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2020/21

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• 08 - Exclusion appeals (1997-98 to 2011-12)

  National

  Number of appeals for permanent exclusions, from 1997/98 to 2011/12. See data file 09 - Exclusion reviews for data on review panels since 2012/13.

  • Number of rows: 16
  • Indicators:
    • Number determined in favour of the parent/pupil
    • Number of appeals heard
    • Number of appeals lodged
  • Time period: 1997/98 to 2011/12

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• 09 - Exclusion reviews (2012-13 to 2020-21)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number of review panels for permanent exclusions lodged and their outcome. See data file 08 - Exclusion appeals for data on appeals prior to 2012/13.

  • Number of rows: 4,396
  • Indicators:
    • A1 - Number of independent reviews lodged (in academic year)
    • B1 - Independent reviews determined by an independent review panel
    • B2 - Independent reviews determined by an independent review panel (% of reviews lodged)
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2012/13 to 2020/21

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• 03a - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - including multiple reasons (2020-21 only)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by reason for exclusion. Includes multiple reasons for exclusion from 2020/21.

  • Number of rows: 636
  • Indicators:
    • Permanent - Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity
    • Permanent - Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity (%)
    • Permanent - Abuse relating to disability
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• 03b - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by single reason (2006-07 to 2019-20)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by reason for exclusion. Includes single reasons for exclusion up to 2019/20.

  • Number of rows: 8,926
  • Indicators:
    • Permanent - Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity
    • Permanent - Abuse against sexual orientation and gender identity (%)
    • Permanent - Abuse relating to disability
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2019/20

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• 02b - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by characteristic - FSM6, IDACI, SEN type of need (2006-07 to 2020-21)

  National

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by pupil characteristics. Includes breakdowns by IDACI, FSM6 and type of special educational need. National level only.

  • Number of rows: 1,104
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Permanent exclusions
    • Permanent exclusions (rate)
  • Filters:
    • Detailed characteristic
    • IDACI, SEN need, FSM6
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2020/21

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• 13 - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by term (2018-19 to 2020-21)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by term. Includes 2018/19 to 2020/21 only.

  • Number of rows: 5,809
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Number of schools
    • Permanent exclusions
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2018/19 Autumn term to 2020/21 Summer term

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• 12 - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - pupil referral units (2013-14 to 2020-21)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by term in pupil referral units.

  • Number of rows: 3,958
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Number of schools
    • Permanent exclusions
  • Time period: 2013/14 to 2020/21

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• 11 - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by post looked after arrangements (2017-18 to 2020-21)

  National

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by post looked after arrangements

  • Number of rows: 81
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Permanent exclusions
    • Permanent exclusions (rate)
  • Filters:
    • Post looked after arrangement
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2017/18 to 2020/21

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• 10 - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by district (LAD) (2016-17 to 2020-21)

  Local authority district

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension at local authority district level

  • Number of rows: 6,333
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Number of schools
    • Permanent exclusions
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2016/17 to 2020/21

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• 07 - Suspensions - average days missed (2013-14 to 2020-22)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Average number of suspensions and average days lost per suspended pupil

  • Number of rows: 5,177
  • Indicators:
    • Average days missed per suspended pupil. (Number of days of suspension / pupils with one or more suspension).
    • Average number of suspensions per excluded pupil. (Number of suspensions/ pupils with one or more suspension).
    • Headcount
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2013/14 to 2020/21

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• 01 - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by school and geographic level (2006-07 to 2020-21)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension, broken down at National, Regional, Local Authority and school level. School level rates included from 2015/16 only.

  • Number of rows: 329,893
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Number of schools
    • Permanent exclusions
  • Filters:
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2020/21

  Data set information page
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• 02a - Permanent exclusions and suspensions - by characteristic (2006-07 to 2020-21)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number and percentage of permanent exclusions and suspensions and those pupils receiving one or more suspension by pupil characteristics. Includes breakdowns by age, gender, national curriculum year, ethnicity, Free School Meals and Special Educational Needs

  • Number of rows: 520,054
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Permanent exclusions
    • Permanent exclusions (rate)
  • Filters:
    • Characteristic
    • School Type
  • Time period: 2006/07 to 2020/21

  Data set information page
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Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

This page describes the data included in the ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions in England: 2020/21’ National Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License (opens in new tab) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in new tab).

The publication methodology, available on the publication report, should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on exclusions in: 

• state-funded primary schools
• state-funded secondary schools
• special schools (including non-maintained special schools)
• pupil referral units

The information is based on data collected via the school census

File formats and conventions

Rounding 

This dataset has not had rounding or suppression applied. 

Conventions 

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data. 

‘z’ Not applicable.

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England statistics and data:

Attendance and exclusions statistics team

Email: schools.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Attendance and exclusions statistics team

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Phone: 0370 000 2288

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Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closed on bank holidays)