How many children are expelled at the moment?

The latest figures on permanent exclusions from all schools in England, which are for 2003/04, show there were 9,880. That was an increase of 6% from the previous year, when there were 9,290 expulsions from primary, secondary and special needs schools.

Proportionally, there was only a slight increase. Those excluded for 2003/4 amounted to 0.13% of the school population, compared with 0.12% the previous year.

What is the trend?

Under Labour, the number of exclusions has fallen generally. In 1996/7, the number excluded was 12,700. As a proportion of the school population, that was 0.16%.

Last year was the first time the number of children permanently excluded from schools in England fell in three years.

But school rolls are falling, so the proportion of pupils hardly changed.

What are children expelled for?

Head teachers can exclude pupils who commit or threaten violence in school, who sexually abuse pupils or other people, who sell illegal drugs or who have persistent and malicious disruptive behaviour.

This is the first year that the government has released a breakdown of why pupils have been expelled. The statistics show:

• 30% of expulsions were due to "persistent disruptive behaviour"
• 20% - were for "threatening behaviour or verbal abuse against an adult"
• 20% - were for physical assault against a pupil.

Who is most likely to be expelled?

• Secondary school pupils (84% of this year's total)
• Boys (81% of total)
• 13 and 14-year-olds (45% of total)

Among ethnic groups, those most likely to be permanently excluded (expelled) were travellers of Irish origin (66 in every 10,000 pupils), Gypsy/Roma pupils (62 in every 10,000). However, the government urges caution over these figures because of the small numbers involved.

Among larger ethnic groups, black pupils (29 in 10,000) and those of mixed ethnic origin (25 in 10,000) were roughly twice as likely to be permanently excluded as white pupils.

What happens to children who are excluded at the moment?

Children are sometimes accepted by other local schools if they have spare places. Otherwise they can be given a place at small special schools, known as Pupil Referral Units, where they are given lessons with other excluded pupils or children with behavioural problems.

But it can be hard to find places for children who have been expelled and critics of expulsion complain pupils might not go to school for lengthy periods. In that time they may have work sent home or a teacher might visit them to give lessons.