Rising suspensions put Government efforts to halve attainment gap at risk

Worrying new data released from the Department for Education today underscores the scale of the challenge facing the Government’s ambition to halve the attainment gap.

The number of suspensions given out in Spring term 2024/5 rose to a total of 312,562, which equates to 5,209 pupils being suspended per day*. Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were four times more likely to be suspended than their more advantaged peers and were suspended 188,388 times - this accounts for 60% of all suspensions.

In Spring 2024/25 nearly 9% of pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) were suspended, up 58% on the same term in 2021/22, the first complete school year after the pandemic, analysis by youth education charity Impetus shows. This compares to a rate of just under 2% for non-eligible pupils and 3.72% overall.

This level of lost learning has lifelong consequences. Our research with the Education Policy Institute found that:

• Young people who experience even a single suspension, or temporary removal from secondary school are less likely to pass crucial GCSEs in English and maths.
• Pupils with multiple suspensions have poorer education outcomes. Suspended pupils are, on average, approximately 12 months behind their not-suspended peers.
• Young people who are suspended at secondary school experience a range of poorer outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood, compared with those who are not suspended. Including being: 2 times as likely to not be in sustained education, employment or training (NEET) at age 24; 2.5 times as likely to receive out-of-work benefits by age 24; 2.7 times as likely to receive health-related benefits by age 24

Susannah Hardyman MBE, CEO of Impetus, said:

Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds face systematically worse outcomes at every stage in the journey from school to work. So, while it is not surprising to see they experience significantly more suspensions than their better off peers, it is very concerning.

While some suspensions are necessary, given what we know about the long-term consequences for young people who are suspended from school even once, supporting those who are struggling to engage in mainstream education must be a priority.

We welcome the recent commitment to reserve sending young people home when suspended to the most serious incidents, but we call on the government to provide more clarity on what support they will receive at school. We are concerned that without understanding what is going on for young people struggling to stay in the classroom, that the opportunity for positive intervention will be missed.

For further information please contact: Nicola Robbins, Head of Communications, 07967644427 nicola.robbins@impetus.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• The data is taken from the Department for Education’s termly suspensions statistics from Spring term 2024/5.
• *Spring term 2025 ran from 6 January to 4 April 2025 with a total of 60 school days.
• In 2024 we conducted two pieces of research with EPI on outcomes for suspended pupils:

1. March 2024 - Outcomes for young people who experience multiple suspensions
2. August 2024 - Early adult outcomes for suspended and excluded pupils

N.B. Pupils’ attainment at GCSE plays a significant role in the relationship between suspension and outcomes. Factors contributing to suspensions, as well as suspensions themselves, may have influenced GCSE performance, which in turn is related to outcomes in adulthood.

About Impetus

Impetus transforms the education and employment outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We do this by using our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact. Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.

To find out more about Impetus, visit impetus.org.uk.