Campaigners have called for a temporary halt to school exclusions in England after schools issued 913,000 suspensions and 9,900 permanent exclusions last year.
The call has been made in an open letter to Education Secretary Lucy Powell, signed by 489 people including teachers, parents, education psychologists, social workers and youth workers.
The letter, organised by No More Exclusions, calls for an immediate moratorium, or temporary halt, on exclusions while alternative, properly funded and inclusive responses are developed.
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The campaign acknowledged a 4% reduction in the number of sanctions in the latest 2024/25 figures, but argues that close to one million exclusions underlines the scale of a crisis spanning education, safeguarding, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), mental health, equalities and social justice.
A spokesperson for No More Exclusions said: “Exclusion is never just one decision on one day. It often follows repeated missed opportunities to understand what a child is communicating through their behaviour and to put the right support in place.
“A moratorium would create the space to stop removing children from education and start responding properly to unmet needs, distress, neurodiversity, adversity, disability, marginalisation, bullying and harm.”
The campaign said pupils eligible for free school meals, those receiving SEND support and pupils from some racialised and minoritised communities continue to experience disproportionate rates of suspension and permanent exclusion.
It said permanent exclusion rates were more than six times higher for pupils eligible for free school meals, while their suspension rate was four times higher.
The campaign also cited linked Department for Education and Ministry of Justice data showing 80% of children cautioned or sentenced for an offence, and 87% of those cautioned or sentenced for a serious violence offence, had previously been recorded as having SEND.
No More Exclusions said a temporary halt would not mean ignoring harm or leaving schools unsupported.
It is calling for alternatives including holistic assessment of children’s needs, relational and trauma-informed practice, anti-racist and anti-oppressive approaches, collaboration between families, communities and schools, better working conditions and resourcing for school staff, and supportive spaces for all.
The campaign is also asking Powell to support parliamentary scrutiny of exclusion policies, meet campaign representatives and back the proposed halt while alternatives are developed.
Source: CYPNow
