Rise in school exclusions in England including among pupils six or younger

Sanctions increased more rapidly in primary schools among children whose earliest education had been disrupted by the Covid pandemic and associated school closures. Photograph: Keith Morris/Alamy

More than 10,000 children were permanently excluded from England’s state schools last year, alongside record numbers of suspensions involving pupils aged six or younger or with special needs, as teachers struggled to cope with worsening behaviour.

The figures for the 2023-24 academic year revealed that the number of permanent exclusions leapt up by 16% compared with the year before, while the total number of suspension days rose by 21% to 955,000.