Excluded in Primary School for those with Special Educational Needs

Why are the UK's Primary Schools excluding children?

Why are children in the UK's Primary Schools being excluded? What is driving the recent rise? Some organisations and experts call for a rethink of exclusion practices, especially in primary schools. There is a need for more funding, early intervention, training, and better support systems.

Thirty-two million pupils in the UK were monitored, and those with special educational needs who were excluded were examined. A new study by Chance UK has tracked five-year groups across their school lives, from entering Reception to leaving at GCSE. The former Children's Commissioner, Anne Longfield, supports this research launch.

The Research showed the exclusion or suspension of pupils in primary schools and the long-term impact on their education and their ability to achieve academic success.

In 2022, more than 22,000 children aged six and under were excluded/suspended from primary schools in the UK.

By year 10, 64% of those excluded from primary School were persistently absent.

Excluded Special Educational Needs

90% of these children excluded from primary School did not pass their GCSE in English or Maths. Almost 97% of those excluded from primary School had special education needs or disability(SEND).

• In the 2023/24 academic year, suspensions rose sharply: there were ~954,952 suspensions across England — a 21% year-on-year increase. The Independent+1

• In primary schools alone, suspensions increased by nearly a quarter over the same period. The Independent+1

• Permanent exclusions in primary schools are still a small proportion overall, but the numbers have grown: in one report, about 0.14% of primary pupils were permanently excluded. Whole School SEND+1

• In analyses of excluded primary pupils, a striking pattern emerges: the vast majority — around 97% — had a special educational need or disability (SEN). Sky Ne

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  What schools say are the main reasons for exclusion

According to official guidance and school data:

• The most common reason is persistent disruptive behaviour — it accounts for a large share of both suspensions and permanent exclusions. Explore Education Statistics+2ap.dcpro.co.uk+2

• Other frequent triggers: physical assault (against pupils or staff), verbal abuse or threatening behaviour, bullying, damage to property, and serious incidents like drug/alcohol-related issues or theft (though less frequent in primary). childlawadvice.org.uk+2Twinkl+2

• Behaviour outside school sometimes counts too: schools can exclude a pupil for offences or serious misbehaviour, even if they occur outside school hours or off-premises. childlawadvice.org.uk+1

Because headteachers have discretion (within legal and policy boundaries), what leads to exclusion can vary between schools — meaning two children with similar behaviour might be treated differently depending on the school setting and leadership. childlawadvice.org.uk+1

Underlying systemic and social factors

Experts and recent studies highlight wider structural causes — especially in the wake of pandemic-era disruption — which make exclusions more likely:

• Insufficient support for SEN / neurodivergent children: Many excluded children have conditions like ADHD, autism or attachment disorders; mainstream schools often lack the resources, staff training or specialist provisions to support them properly, making exclusion more likely when behaviour becomes challenging. beaconschoolsupport.co.uk+2Whole School SEND+2

• Increased complexity of needs since the pandemic: Rising mental health issues, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, sometimes compounded by social disadvantage (poverty, family stress) — schools report more children struggling to cope in standard classroom settings. Research Briefings+2Edexec+2

• Pressure on mainstream schools to perform academically: Schools under pressure to deliver good outcomes may struggle to balance that with support for children who require more help; for some pupils, acting out may stem from not coping academically or emotionally, which can trigger behavioural labels and then exclusion. beaconschoolsupport.co.uk+1

• Lack of alternative provision and under-resourcing of support services: Where specialist support (educational psychologists, mental health services, special-needs resources) is hard to access, schools may feel their only option is exclusion. Edexec+2Whole School SEND+2

  
  

  What this means — and why many think the rise in exclusions is worrying

• Exclusion disproportionately affects some of the most vulnerable children (those with SEN/disabilities, from deprived backgrounds, or with additional social needs) rather than being evenly distributed. Whole School SEND+2Research Briefings+2

• For many excluded children, early exclusion is linked to poor long-term outcomes: one study found children excluded at primary age were far less likely to pass basic GCSEs in English and maths later. Sky News+2GB News+2

• Exclusions can be a “last resort” — but many argue the system lacks early intervention, appropriate support, and inclusion strategies: exclusion fixes the immediate problem but may ignore root causes (e.g. unmet needs, mental health challenges). childlawadvice.org.uk+2PMC+2

Because of this, some organisations and experts call for a rethink of exclusion practices — especially in primary schools — arguing for more funding, early intervention, training, and better support systems.         Whole School SEND+2Research Briefings+2

Pre-COVID-19 Special Education Needs support.

Lockdown brought about by COVID-19 has disadvantaged many of our children emotionally, mentally and academically. The children who were failing their GCSEs didn't get the support they needed, even before COVID-19 turned up.

Some Academies lack the knowledge or funds to implement Inclusion. Education is failing our children, and the extent of the academies' failure is going unnoticed. Academies are cutting back on classroom support to save money at the expense of all the children.

Mental Health of those with undiagnosed Special Educational Needs.

This is an extract from the Mental Health Foundation website.

We take a life-course approach to mental health because good mental health begins in infancy.

• 20% of adolescents may experience a mental health problem in any given year.

• 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24.

• 10% of children and young people (aged 5 to 16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.

A better understanding of Special Educational Needs is required to prevent children from being excluded.