More children expelled from county schools (From Cotswold Journal)

More children expelled from county schools

5:00pm Saturday 4th August 2012 in Cotswolds By Sarah Taylor

THE number of pupils expelled from Worcestershire schools last year rose as the figures fell nationally.

Overall, the number of permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and special schools in Worcestershire increased from 51 in 2009/10 to 77 in 2010/11.

The number of pupils expelled from Worcestershire schools for violence against adults has also risen.

Latest figures from the Department for Education reveal 13 students were expelled in 2010/11 for physical assault against an adult and 12 for using verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult.

This compares to nine and fewer than five – the minumum number recorded in the department’s figures – respectively in 2009/10.

The number of suspensions has remained largely the same – 3,248 in 2009/10 and 3,242 in 2010/11. However, students suspended for physical assault against a pupil increased from 660 in 2009/10 to 771 in 2010/11.

Worcestershire remains among the highest in the West Midlands for the number of young people permanently and temporarily excluded from school.

Nationally, expulsions fell from 5,740 in 2009/10 to 5,080 in 2010/11 and there were 324,110 suspensions in 2010/11, compared with 331,380 in 2009/10.

County councillor Jane Potter, cabinet member with responsibility for education and skills, said she couldn’t comment on the figures.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said of the increase: “We welcome the data from Department of Education, and are currently in the process of evaluating the outcomes prior to developing an implementation strategy.

“Worcestershire local authority continues to work with all schools to raise educational achievement in an environment that is both positive and supportive to pupils and staff.

“The local authority will continue to monitor exclusions and work with individual and partnerships of schools.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “One of the Government’s key priorities is to improve behaviour in the classroom.

“We have given teachers more powers to ensure the balance of authority lies with the adult rather than the child and given head teachers more discretion about when to expel a persistently disruptive pupil.”