School exclusion numbers drop but concern remains

Officials say "persistent and disruptive behaviour" was the main reason for pupils being suspended

Council officials say they are working with school leaders to tackle the number of suspensions and exclusions in Lincolnshire, despite a fall in numbers.

Members of Lincolnshire County Council's schools forum heard the number of pupils permanently excluded from local schools fell from 245 in 2023-24 to 227 in 2024-25.

There was also a 15% decrease in the number of pupils being suspended, falling from 4,991 to 4,553 in the same period.

However, Kate Capel, the authority's head of service for inclusion, said: "Lincolnshire continues to show an increase in exclusions when compared to the national and regional averages."

Ms Capel said "persistent and disruptive behaviour" was one of the main factors, as well as verbal abuse or threatening behaviour towards a teacher.

"We're already working with 47 schools and their leaders to tackle this," she said.

"It's pleasing to see that cases of schools using permanent exclusions are reducing."

Mark Popplewell, strategic finance leader for children's services, said "prevention is key".

"It's about getting those schools to support and engage with these pupils to keep them in school as much as possible," he said.

"We're looking at providing increased capacity for alternative provisions within schools."

The authority said it would provide an update on progress in reducing pupil exclusions at its next meeting.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the figures cover all types of schools, including primary, secondary and special schools.

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