School suspensions and permanent exclusions in England have fallen for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to government statistics released on Thursday. The academic year 2024/25 saw a total of 913,000 suspensions across state schools, a 4% decrease from the previous year. Permanent exclusions also decreased by 9%, reaching 9,900.
Despite the overall decline, suspension rates have dropped in secondary and special schools but have seen an increase in primary schools. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson attributed the changes to the combined efforts of schools, parents, and the government, stating that teachers are helping the next generation "turn a corner" after the pandemic left a "pernicious legacy."
"After years of spiralling suspensions and permanent exclusions, there are clear signs that the combined efforts of schools, parents and the government are working – and we are determined to keep driving forward that progress to fix the behaviour crisis we inherited," Phillipson said.
Prior to these latest figures, England's school suspension and exclusion rates had been on an upward trend since before the pandemic. Last year, suspensions reached their highest level in nearly two decades, and even with the recent decrease, the rates remain higher than in the 2018/19 academic year.
Suspended pupils are required to stay out of school for a fixed period, up to a maximum of 45 days per school year, while excluded students are permanently removed from their educational institution. The data indicates that nearly half of all suspensions, specifically 46%, were for one day or less. However, 94,400 pupils missed more than a week of school due to suspensions last year.
Persistent disruptive behavior was cited as the most common reason for suspensions, accounting for just over half (52%) of all recorded reasons. Verbal abuse or threatening behavior towards adults was the second most frequent reason, followed by physical assault against a pupil. These three reasons together accounted for a significant portion of all disciplinary actions. The majority of suspensions, 85%, involved secondary school pupils.
In contrast to secondary schools, primary schools experienced a rise in suspension rates. There were 112,545 suspensions in primary schools during 2024/25, an increase of 7,742 from the year before.