School exclusions fall but suspensions rise

The number of pupils permanently excluded from schools in Rotherham fell last year though suspensions continued to increase, according to a council report.

Data showed there were 84 permanent exclusions during the 2024-25 academic year, down from 93 in the previous year.

However, 6,980 suspensions were issued to 2,147 individual pupils during the same period.

The report is due to be presented to the council's Improving Lives select commission on 17 March.

The data indicates boys are more likely than girls to be excluded or suspended, reflecting national patterns - according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Permanent exclusions remain relatively rare in primary schools but increase significantly in secondary education, with a peak in Year 10.

However, council officers noted an unusually high number of permanent exclusions in Year 7 during the last year.

Around 69% of pupils permanently excluded had special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) recorded at the time, compared with 23.5% of the overall school-age population in Rotherham.

More than half of pupils receiving suspensions also had SEND.

Rotherham's rate of both suspensions and permanent exclusions is slightly higher than the national average, according to the report.

Attendance across Rotherham schools improved slightly during 2024-25, rising 0.7% compared with the previous year.

Primary attendance was recorded at 94% while secondary attendance stood at 90%, both slightly below the national average.

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