“There is clearly a very serious problem facing schools with rising incidents of challenging behaviour and in particular persistent disruptive behaviour which is the most common reason for suspensions and permanent exclusions. This has become a great deal worse since the pandemic where many children experienced disruption to their education and isolation that are continuing to have a lasting impact.
“In many cases, schools simply do not have the resources to provide the level of specialist support required to prevent behavioural issues from escalating and so we see this ending up with suspensions and permanent exclusions being used as a last resort.
“Funding pressures have meant that many schools have had to cut back on pastoral support, and there are serious shortages in teachers and specialist support staff such as educational psychologists. There are also long waiting times to assess and identify the support required for children with the most complex special educational needs. The whole system is teetering on the brink of collapse and the government must show urgency in addressing these problems.”