Sheffield schools breaks record for number of schoolchildren suspended in a year
Sheffield saw a record number of children being suspended or permanently excluded from school last year.
Data from the Department of Education shows Sheffield’s schoolchildren were handed 14,892 suspensions across the 2023/24 academic year - up from 11,972, which is a leap of nearly 3,000, or one-fifth.
The figures show these 14,982 were handed out to a total of 4,479 children, who received one or more suspensions.
It is the highest figure since records began in 2006-07, and means around 17.5 suspensions have been handed out for every 100 pupils.
The number of permanent exclusions has also hit new heights in Sheffield, with 147 cases of children turned away from their schools in 2023/24, up from 92 the previous year - a jump of over a third.
In fact, figures from last year alone outweigh what was seen in the entire academic years of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
In both cases, it beats the Sheffield record set in 2021, when there were 5,054 suspensions and 92 exclusions.
Meanwhile, across England in 2023/24, there were around 955,000 suspensions, which is also the highest on record.
Previously, the Association of School and College Leaders warned in November 2024 that the "whole system is teetering on the brink of collapse" in response to the number of suspensions.
Meanwhile, Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL, said in 2024: "There is clearly a very serious problem facing schools with rising incidents of challenging behaviour and in particular persistent disruptive behaviour, which is the most common reason for suspensions and permanent exclusions.
"This has become a great deal worse since the pandemic, where many children experienced disruption to their education and isolation that are continuing to have a lasting impact.
"In many cases, schools simply do not have the resources to provide the level of specialist support required to prevent behavioural issues from escalating and so we see this ending up with suspensions and permanent exclusions being used as a last resort."
Education minister Stephen Morgan said the surge in suspensions spiralled out of control under the Conservatives.
Mr Morgan said the Labour Government’s ‘Plan for Change’ included providing access to mental health support in schools, expanding free school meals, introducing breakfast clubs and launching attendance and behaviour hubs.
"We're also continuing to listen to parents as we reform the special educational needs and disabilities system, while already putting in place better and earlier support for speech and language needs, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism and £740 million to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools," Morgan said.
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