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.
- Published
Headline facts and figures
Suspensions increased compared to the previous spring term, but are lower than in autumn 2024/25
The rate of suspensions in spring term 2024/25 was 3.72 (equivalent to 372 suspensions for every 10,000 pupils). In comparison, the rate for spring term of 2023/24 was 3.50, while the autumn term of 2024/25 was higher at 4.02. In past years suspensions in the autumn term have often been higher than spring.
The rate of permanent exclusions was consistent, however the number of permanent exclusions increased compared to the previous spring and decreased in comparison to autumn 2024/25
In the spring term 2024/25 the rate of permanent exclusions was 0.04 (equivalent to 4 permanent exclusions for every 10,000 pupils); this was consistent with the previous spring term and autumn term 2024/25, and is similar to rates before and up to autumn 2019/20, which remained around 0.03 to 0.04. The number of permanent exclusions in the latest spring term increased to 3,300.
Persistent disruptive behaviour continued to be the most common reason for suspension
Persistent disruptive behaviour accounted for 52% of all reasons given for suspension and for 38% of reasons for permanent exclusions.
Suspensions
Suspensions, previously known as 'fixed period exclusions', refer to when a pupil 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 (multiplied by 100).
Suspensions have increased compared to the previous spring term, but are lower than in autumn 2024/25
Prior to the pandemic, the rate and number of suspensions had been increasing gradually, though with termly fluctuations, primarily driven by increases in secondary schools. Since the pandemic, the rate of annual increases has accelerated and the latest spring term in 2024/25 showed another increase compared to the suspension rate in spring 2023/24.
The rate of suspensions increased from 3.50 in spring term 2023/24 to 3.72 in spring 2024/25. The latest spring suspension rate is lower than the autumn term 2024/25 rate of 4.02, which is a pattern often seen in past years (though not during the pandemic).
The number of suspensions has also increased, by 6%, from 295,600 in spring 2023/24 to 312,600 in spring term 2024/25. The number of suspensions decreased compared to the autumn term of 2024/25, when there were 335,700 suspensions. Users should note that term lengths vary, with autumn term tending to be the longest term, and spring and summer terms in each year determined by the date of Easter.
A similar trend was seen in suspension rates across all school types
Across all school types, the suspension rate has increased from the previous spring term but decreased compared to autumn term 2024/25.
Persistent disruptive behaviour continued to be the most common reason for suspension
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.
As multiple reasons could be recorded, the table below and underlying data refer to a total of 366,100 reasons given for the 312,600 suspensions in spring term 2024/25.
The most common reason recorded for suspension was persistent disruptive behaviour, accounting for 52% (189,500) of all reasons given. This was followed by verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult with 15% (54,500) and physical assault against a pupil with 12% (44,000 instances) of all reasons given.
The number of pupils with a suspension increased compared to the autumn term and the previous spring
‘Pupils with one or more suspensions’ refer to pupil enrolments that had at least one suspension across the full academic period. Dual registered pupils with suspensions in multiple schools have each of their enrolments considered separately. This allows for schools to be held accountable for suspensions, as the suspensions are attached to enrolments at a particular school, not the individual pupil.
The rate of pupils suspended at least once increased to 1.99 in spring term 2024/25, from 1.98 in autumn term and 1.92 in spring term 2023/24. Comparing spring terms this is equivalent to a 3% increase in the number of pupils suspended at least once, from 162,200 to 166,800.
Most suspensions are for one day but almost 1 in 5 suspended pupils miss more than a week through cumulative days of suspension
In spring term 2024/25, 45% of suspensions were for one day or less, this is consistent with the proportion of one day suspensions in spring 2023/24. However, looking at the cumulative days missed over the term, 31,100 pupils who were suspended (19%) missed the equivalent of more than one school week (5 days), and 9,800 (6%) missed more than two school weeks (10 days) through suspension. Compared to the previous spring term, this represents an increase of 1,700 and 800 pupils, respectively.
Permanent exclusions
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 (multiplied by 100). A rate of 0.01 would be equivalent to 1 permanent exclusion for every 10,000 pupils.
The rate of permanent exclusions was consistent, while the number increased compared to the previous spring term
The rate of permanent exclusions in spring term 2024/25 was 0.04, the same as in the autumn term and the spring term 2023/24 (to 2 decimal places). There were 3,300 permanent exclusions in spring term 2024/25, representing an increase of 7% compared to the previous spring term when there were 3,100 permanent exclusions, but a decrease from autumn term when there were 3,700 permanent exclusions. Users should note that term lengths vary, with autumn term tending to be the longest term, and spring and summer terms in each year determined by the date of Easter.
A similar trend was seen in permanent exclusions across all school types when comparing to the previous spring
Across all school types, the permanent exclusion rates remained the same and the number of permanent exclusions increased when compared to the previous spring term.
The number of permanent exclusions was highest in secondary schools at 2,700, accounting for 82% of all permanent exclusions in spring term 2024/25.
Persistent disruptive behaviour continued to be the most common reason for permanent exclusion
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 onwards.
As multiple reasons could be recorded, the table below and underlying data refer to a total of 4,500 reasons given for the 3,300 permanent exclusions in spring term 2024/25.
The most common reason recorded for permanent exclusion was persistent disruptive behaviour, accounting for 38% (1,700) of all reasons given. This was followed by physical assault against a pupil with 16% (720) of all reasons, and physical assault against an adult with 12% (550) of all reasons.
Pupil characteristics
The section below shows counts and rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions by free school meal (FSM) eligibility, special educational need (SEN) provision, year group, sex and ethnicity. Data for unclassified/unknown sex, FSM status, SEN provision, and year group are not presented in the tables due to very low numbers, which lead to volatile rates.
Pupils with SEN and FSM eligibility continued to have some of the highest rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions
Free school meals (FSM) eligibility
The suspension rate for pupils eligible for FSM continued to be more than four times that of pupils who were not eligible, with rates of 8.73 and 1.99, respectively. Permanent exclusion rates were five times higher for FSM-eligible pupils, with a rate of 0.10 compared to 0.02 for pupils who were not eligible.
Special educational needs (SEN)
Compared to the previous spring term the suspension rate for pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and pupils with SEN support increased, while suspensions for pupils with no identified SEN decreased slightly.
The suspension rate for pupils with an EHC plan increased to 8.83, lower than for those with SEN support at 9.79. The rate for pupils with no identified SEN was almost four times lower at 2.35. The gap in suspension rates between pupils with SEN (EHC plans and SEN support combined) and those with no identified SEN has been widening since the pandemic and continued to increase compared to the previous spring term.
The rate of permanent exclusions for pupils with an EHC plan increased to 0.09. The rate for pupils with SEN support was consistent at 0.12, but like suspensions, was higher than for pupils with an EHC plan. This compares to a permanent exclusion rate of 0.02 for pupils with no SEN.
Year group
Year 9 continued to have the highest suspension rate at 9.90, followed by Year 10 with a rate of 9.31. Year 9 and Year 10 also continued to have the highest rates of permanent exclusion at 0.12.
In the primary phase, Year 6 had the highest suspension rate at 1.17; Year 5 and year 6 had the highest permanent exclusion rate at 0.02.
Compared to the previous spring term the suspension rate increased in all year groups; and in contrast to all other year groups the suspension rate in Year 7 also increased when compared to the autumn term.
Sex
The suspension rate increased for both males and females compared to the previous spring term, (from 4.28 to 4.58 and 2.69 to 2.83 respectively), meaning the rate for male pupils remained more than 1.5 times that of female pupils.
Male pupils also had a higher permanent exclusion rate of 0.05, which is more than twice that of female pupils, who had a rate of 0.02. Both rates were unchanged from the previous spring term.
Ethnicity
Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils have the highest rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions consistently over time. However, caution is recommended when interpreting the rates for these ethnicity groups due to relatively small population sizes.
In spring 2024/25 Gypsy/Roma pupils continued to have the highest rate of suspensions (increased from 11.49 to 13.86) and also had the second highest rate of permanent exclusion (down from 0.14 to 0.12). Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils had the highest rate of permanent exclusions (up from 0.09 to 0.14) and continued to have the second highest rates of suspensions (up from 7.82 to 10.11).
Pupils in the Chinese ethnic group continued to have the lowest rates of suspensions (up from 0.31 to 0.42) and permanent exclusions (unchanged at 0.00).
Ethnicity by FSM eligibility
Further information on absence rates by ethnicity and FSM eligibility is available in the data catalogue, or you can create your own tables using the table tool.
State-funded alternative provision
State-funded alternative provision (AP) includes pupil referral units, alternative provision academies and alternative provision free schools.
Suspensions in state-funded alternative provision continued to increase, to 15,100 in spring term 2024/25 from 13,100 in spring 2023/24. The number of permanent exclusions was small; 19 in spring term 2024/25, a decrease from 21 in the previous spring term.
Suspension and permanent exclusion rates for alternative provision are not presented here but are included in the underlying data files. Caution is advised when using these, as alternative provision settings tend to be disproportionately affected by dual subsidiary pupils not being included in the headcount when calculating suspensions and permanent exclusion rates, which may result in rates that appear significantly higher than other phases.
Further data
The headline figures in this publication cover the spring term 2024/25 and comparisons to previous terms are presented. The next publication in the series will add data for the full academic year 2024/25.
The latest full academic year for which data is available is 2023/24, available at: Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
Further data is available in the data catalogue, or you can create your own tables using the table tool including:
- Suspensions and permanent exclusions by pupil characteristics
- Suspensions - Number of days missed
- Suspensions - Duration of suspensions
- Suspensions - Average days missed
- Suspensions - Number of suspensions per pupil
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.ukContact name: Attendance and exclusions statistics team
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