Pupils with SEND ‘more likely to be suspended multiple times’
Joe Lepper
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are among the most likely to be suspended by schools multiple times, researchers have found.
Those suspended 10 times or more are almost three times as likely to be pupils with as SEND compared to pupils who are suspended once.
Pupils with social, emotional or mental health special needs are the most common group among suspended pupils, found the research published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI).
Schools are being urged to “proactively identify” pupils at risk of suspension and put in place early help. This could include information sharing across primary and secondary schools to find pupils without an education, health and care plan in place that may have a track record of poor attendance and disciplinary action being taken.
📝NEW REPORT: Outcomes for young people who experience multiple suspensions
— Education Policy Institute (@EduPolicyInst) March 14, 2024
Our report, commissioned by @ImpetusUK, identifies a “suspension grades gap", with young people who experience suspension from school less likely to pass GCSEs.
Read the report: https://t.co/n9CahQa2ar pic.twitter.com/WFgyR241CH
EPI associate director for mental health and wellbeing Whitney Crenna-Jennings called on the government to “commit to fully implementing” its SEND and alternative provision improvement plan.
This includes a roll out of an ‘inclusion dashboard’ to help policy makers and schools pinpoint emerging trends in suspensions locally and nationally.
“Given the strong link between the number of suspensions from secondary school and poorer education outcomes, it is vital that schools work proactively to reduce the number of suspensions and are given the resources that they need to identify pupils with mental health and additional needs, to make early intervention possible,” said Crenna-Jennings.
“More research is also needed to understand the causes of the recent rise in suspensions rates, to inform more effective responses.”
Ben Gadsby, head of policy and research at education charity Impetus, which commissioned the research, said: “While suspensions are sometimes necessary, supporting pupils who are struggling to engage in mainstream education must continue to be a priority for whoever is in government.
“We should aim for lower exclusion levels not simply for the sake of it, but because it would be a sign of a more effective education system for pupils and teachers alike.”
