“School leaders only ever suspend and exclude pupils as a last resort, and therefore this rise would appear to reflect the increasingly complex needs and challenging behaviour we are seeing in schools and across wider society. Behavioural issues are often a result of poor mental health or unmet special educational needs. We desperately need the new government to work alongside the education profession to put support systems in place that ensure young people get the help they need to stop these problems from escalating. Early intervention is key to solving this issue, but schools lack the resources to offer specialist support and local services have become overwhelmed by the increased demand. It’s vitally important that there is investment in education and family support services to ensure children get help as soon as they require it and behavioural issues do not spiral to the point where suspensions and exclusions are the only option left available to school leaders.”