Responding to a new report by IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) and The Difference which finds chool exclusions and suspensions rose by a fifth last year, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Schools want children to be in the classroom and use suspensions and exclusions as a last resort for the safety and wellbeing of all children.

“Teachers and school leaders work tirelessly to understand and tackle the root causes of challenging or disruptive behaviour, but they cannot do this alone. This sobering research shows the scale of the challenge they are facing post-pandemic and after a decade in which previous governments failed to invest anything like enough in vital community support, including for the most disadvantaged families.

“Families and schools need better access to help from social care and mental health services, and support for children with special educational needs, while specialist behaviour support teams need to be rebuilt so schools can access timely specialist help for young people who need it.

“While we know there is no quick fix, we are pleased that the new government has pledged to confront some of these wider social issues, including the scourge of child poverty, many of which have not been acknowledged let alone addressed in recent years.”