Exclusive: Figures reveal high permanent exclusion rates at academies

Most schools in the 5bn academy programme have excluded twice asmany pupils as their neighbours, the figures suggest. One academyschool, the West London Academy, excluded nearly four times as manypupils as other schools in the local area in 2004/05. The figures willfuel speculation that academies are using exclusion as an unofficialmethod of selection.

David Wolfe, a barrister who specialises in education at the leading lawfirm Matrix Chambers, said: "There's a legacy of old academies with weakfunding agreements who are, as these figures illustrate amazingly,excluding like there's no tomorrow."

The Special Educational Consortium, which represents all the majordisability charities, said the figures were alarming. Chair Brian Lambsaid: "The fact that the number of permanent exclusions is much higherthan the average leads me to be concerned. I would question why it'smuch higher and how that might be impacting on children with specialeducational needs, who we know are very over-represented in schoolexclusions."