In this blog, CYPMHC members, Chance UK, share their reflections on the latest exclusions and suspensions data and their experiences of working with children and young people at risk of exclusion from school.
The latest permanent exclusions and suspensions data from schools in England[1], published at the end of last year, shows a rise in the rates of children being permanently excluded or suspended from school, with exclusions quickly catching up with, and suspensions surpassing, pre-pandemic levels. The overall numbers are concerning, and the sharp rise back to pre-pandemic levels is something that needs to be addressed. What is even more concerning, though, is the evidence that some groups of children are disproportionately, and overwhelmingly, bearing the brunt of this rise.
We know that children excluded and suspended from school are disproportionately those identified as having special education needs (SEN), and that, for these children, the main struggle identified has to do with their mental health. These two issues, poor mental health and higher risk of exclusions and suspensions, go hand in hand. In the same week, the NHS released their latest data on children and young people in England, which showed that 1 in 5 have a ‘probable mental disorder’, and that rates are increasing in children aged 8-16[2]. When we think of what this mental health crisis can do to rates of exclusions and suspensions in the next few years, the prospects are terrifying.
