Thousands of four-year-olds suspended from school due to behavior epidemic

Ministers described the figures, which showed a significant increase in the number of pupils suspended from school, as a “wake-up call”.

In the 2022/23 school year, a record 786,961 children were suspended from school – the previous year the number was 578,280.

Labour said it was “determined to get to grips with the problem”, which had been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Among those suspended were more than 195,000 children aged 11 or younger, including 5,361 children aged four or younger. By comparison, last year 3,948 children under the age of four were excluded from school, while in 2010 the figure was 1,223. Across all age groups, 9,376 students were permanently excluded, a record high compared to 6,495 in the previous year. In about half of the cases, persistent disruptive behavior was given as the reason for suspension.

Education Minister Stephen Morgan acknowledged that the education system “does not meet the needs of children with special needs” as he admitted that poor behaviour can be down to issues such as poverty. “These shocking figures are a wake-up call about the problems that have been growing in our schools in recent years,” he said. “Every pupil has the right to learn in a safe, quiet classroom and we will always support our hard-working and dedicated teachers to make this possible.”

Mr Morgan said there was a need to focus on the causes of exclusion. “We know that bad behaviour can also be rooted in wider problems. That’s why the Government is developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, led by a taskforce co-chaired by the Education Secretary, so that we can break down the barriers to equal opportunities,” he said.

He also said the government was committed to providing access to mental health professionals in all secondary schools, introducing free breakfast clubs in all primary schools and providing earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “Headteachers only suspend and exclude students as a last resort and so this increase appears to reflect the increasingly complex needs and challenging behaviour we are seeing in schools and in society as a whole.”

“Behavioural problems are often the result of poor mental health or unmet special educational needs. We urgently need the new government to work with the education sector to create support systems that ensure young people get the help they need to prevent these problems escalating.”

He added: “It is vitally important to invest in education and family support services to ensure that children get help as soon as they need it and that behavioural problems do not escalate to the point where suspensions and expulsions are the only option left for school leaders.”