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
The data has been collected in the school census. Data for
earlier years is also included.
The latest release provides data from the spring term (January to
April) 2022/23. The publication will next be updated by a full
year release covering the whole of the 2022/23 academic year in
July 2024, similar to previous years.
Data covering the full 2021/22 academic year is available within
the explore data section of this publication, or for a full
commentary see the 2021/22 summer term
publication.
The figures shown in this publication refer to termly suspensions
and permanent exclusion in the spring term 2022/23. The latest
data covering a full academic year are available within ‘Explore
data'. For a more detailed commentary, see the publication for summer
term 2021/22.
Suspensions number and rates increased compared to
previous terms
There were 263,904 suspensions in spring term 2022/23. This is an
increase compared to both the autumn term 2022/23, when there
were 247,366 suspensions, and the previous spring term 2021/22,
when there were 201,090 suspensions. Suspensions are typically
higher in autumn term than in spring and summer so spring 2022/23
is a change from that trend and the highest recorded number of
termly suspensions.
The rate of suspensions was 3.13, equivalent to 313 suspensions
for every 10,000 pupils. The rate in the previous spring term,
2021/22, was 2.40.
Permanent exclusions increased in comparison to the
previous year
In spring term 2022/23 there were 3,039 permanent exclusions.
This is a decrease compared to 3,100 in the autumn term 2022/23,
but an increase on the previous spring term 2021/22 when there
were 2,200 permanent exclusions.
Permanent exclusions are typically higher in autumn term each
year than the subsequent spring and summer terms so spring term
2022/23 is consistent with that trend.
The rate of permanent exclusions is 0.04, equivalent to 4
permanent exclusions for every 10,000 pupils. This is similar to
rates seen before the pandemic, which remained around 0.03 and
0.04.
The most common reason for suspensions and permanent
exclusions was persistent disruptive behaviour.
This is in line with previous terms and years where this reason
was the most commonly recorded
