Data shows North East exclusions hotspots
New statistics released by the DfE show exclusion rates in some areas of the North East remain significantly higher than the national average.
The region’s fixed period exclusion rate across all schools was 5.92 in 2016/17, compared to 4.76 for England as a whole. The North East saw far bigger rises in both fixed period (22.35%) and permanent exclusions (31.75%) than the national average.
At a local authority level South Tyneside primaries made 42 fixed period exclusions in 2016-17, a rise of 425% from the 8 recorded in 2015-16. Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland recorded small overall decreases in 2016-17, following unprecedented rises in previous years. The fixed period exclusion rate in Middlesbrough remains significantly higher than elsewhere at almost four times the national average.
South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees and Gateshead all saw rises of over 100% in fixed-period inclusions while Newcastle Upon Tyne had by far the biggest climb in permanent exclusions from 2015-16, rising by 177.78%.
SCHOOLS NorthEast recognises that exclusions are a last resort for the vast majority of school leaders. This is a complex issue and the data alone does not tell the full story.
