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08
Mar
Number of children suspended from North Yorkshire schools last year revealed
The number of children who were suspended or permanently excluded from schools across the county last year has been revealed.
According to North Yorkshire Council, there were a total of 10,076 suspensions across all North Yorkshire schools during the 2023/2024 academic year.
A report due before the council's Skipton and Ripon area committee this week said, of that number, 9,960 happened at mainstream schools.
The figure was made up by 3,114 pupils in total - 370 of which attended schools in the Skipton and Ripon area.
This is a significant increase from the 2022/23 academic year, during which there were 7,639 suspension from schools across North Yorkshire - made up by 2,753 pupils. 839 - or 11% - of those suspensions happened at schools in the Skipton and Ripon area.
The council previously revealed the total number of suspensions accounted for 19,600 days of 'lost learning', which the authority said are education days missed by children and young people when they're not in school for various reasons.
Schools in the Skipton and Ripon area accounted for 18% of the total schools’ population in North Yorkshire and had a 9% share of suspensions across the county over the 2023/24 academic year.
The report also outlines to most common reason for suspensions both county-wide and in the Skipton and Ripon area, which is listed as persistent or general disruptive behaviour.
Permanent exclusions
The report also outlines the total number of exclusions from all schools across the county between 2023 and 2024.
There were 122 permanent exclusions, 10 of which happened at Skipton and Ripon mainstream schools. North Yorkshire Council previously said data showed more than half of pupils excluded had a special educational need (SEN).
The data showed permanent exclusions were up last year, as a total of 96 children were permanently excluded the year prior - 10 of which were in the Skipton and Ripon area.
The report says:
In 2023/24, schools in the committee area had an 18% share of the total schools’ population and had an 8% share of permanent exclusions for the whole county.
The absences were addressed at an Education Matters conference in Harrogate last November.
Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, the council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, previously said:
The challenges following the pandemic continue. Some of our young people are struggling with their mental health, we have more children not attending school, more children with education and health care plans, more children in care and we’re in the most challenging place financially.
School is the place of safety for young children. However, many are missing school through all forms of lost learning.
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