A RECORD number of suspensions were recorded in Barnsley in the last academic year, the latest figures have revealed.
Department for Education figures show there were 7,338 suspensions in the 2022/23 academic year - the highest since records began for the area.
It was up from 4,735 suspensions the year before, and an increase from 4,854 in 2018/19, before the pandemic.
Across England, suspensions rose 36 per cent from 578,300 in 2021/22 to 787,000 last year - the highest number on record.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said the figures are ‘another stark reminder’ to the government of the scale of the task ahead of it.
He said: “Schools work incredibly hard to support children and use suspensions and exclusions as a last resort, but they cannot be expected to address the full range of complex root-causes that can often lead to disruptive behaviour in the classroom.”
The number of permanent exclusions across the country also reached a record high at 9,376 in 2022/23, a rise of 44 per cent on the year before.
Similarly, permanent exclusions in Barnsley were at their highest with 93 recorded last year.
Efua Poku-Amanfo, research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said the increased rate of exclusions may be a short-term problem for schools, but ‘becomes a much longer-term problem for society, young people’s health and their future opportunities’.
She added: “Students excluded from school are more likely to be from low-income backgrounds, have lower attainment, and have special educational needs.”
More than half of all suspensions in England were among children eligible for free school meals, meaning their parent or carer is receiving one of several benefits.
Of the suspensions in Barnsley, 4,695 - 64 per cent - were for children eligible for free school meals.
Steve Haines, director of public affairs at Impetus, said: “The government has set a compelling ambition to break down barriers to education for all children, but this can’t be achieved if tens of thousands of them are not in the classroom.
“We urgently need to take action to reduce preventable exclusions and support schools to ensure every child can learn and succeed.”
Of the children in Barnsley, those from white and Asian backgrounds had the highest suspension rate at 32.8 per 100 students - 57 per cent higher than the area’s average suspension rate of 20.9 per 100 students.
Coun Trevor Cave, cabinet spokesperson for children’s services, said: “We know that rising suspensions is a national issue, and locally through the Barnsley School Alliance, we are working in close partnership with all our schools and academies to address the issue.
“Extensive work is taking place with school leaders and chief executives from multi academy trusts to place inclusion at the front and centre of their practice.
“We understand the impact of pupils not being in school due to exclusions and we want pupils to be in school every day.
“This is a key priority for Barnsley.
“We want children and young people to thrive in their education and attend every day.”
