School expulsions hit five-year high

Schools are expelling more pupils as the crackdown on bad behaviour begins to bite, official figures show today.

Expulsion rates climbed six per cent last year to their highest level for five years.

But the shocking extent of classroom chaos is laid bare by data showing that more than 130,000 children - equivalent to about five per state school - were suspended for bad behaviour at least once in 2003-4.

Four out of 10 suspensions and expulsions were for assaulting other pupils or threatening behaviour and verbal abuse of adults. Many more children will have received detentions or been sent to in-school "cooler" rooms, known as Learning Support Units, as most heads use suspension and expulsion as sparingly as possible.

Last year 9,880 children were expelled and 9,290 were ejected in 2002-3.

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has admitted " lowlevel" disruption is getting worse and has set up an expert panel to advise her on whether new measures, such as a national behaviour code, are needed.

Spring term sees disruption peak, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) figures show. Black and mixed-race pupils are being expelled at about twice the rate of white pupils. Boys - especially 14-year-olds - accounted for most permanent and temporary exclusions.

But the proportion of expulsions involving girls is, at 19 per cent of the total, the highest since Labour came to power in 1997.

Although more parents successfully appealed against expulsions, fewer saw their children reinstated in the school that kicked them out.

School standards minister Jacqui Smith said the figures proved it is a "myth" that heads are reluctant to expel pupils for fear their decisions will be overturned by local education authority appeal panels, which Tories have said should be abolished.

She added: "We want a zero tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour... on everything from backchat to bullying or violence."

The DfES said most expelled pupils are being placed in special Pupil Referral Units rather than being foisted on other schools.

London has traditionally seen the highest expulsion rates but this time the East Midlands drew level. And the North-West saw more children expelled last year than London - 1,560 compared with 1,520.