Divide between London and the South East, and rest of England, showing up in school exclusion figures

Striking differences in the proportion of pupils excluded or suspended from school, according to the region of England in which they are educated, have been revealed in official government data.

Children were more than 11 times more likely to be permanently excluded from a primary school in the West Midlands than from one in inner London, exclusive Education Uncovered analysis of Department for Education figures for 2022-23 shows.

They were more than four times more likely to be permanently excluded from a secondary school in the North East than from one in inner London; 3.5 times more likely to be suspended from a secondary school in the North-East than from one in outer London; and three times more likely to be suspended from a primary school in the East of England than from one in inner London.

Overall, London schools emerge as substantially less likely to exclude pupils permanently or suspend them than do other regions, with the capital’s figures having markedly bucked the national average trend over the last two decades.

Although the exclusion and suspension figures, published last week, have been presented as climbing at a national level, the regional picture paints a much more nuanced picture, with statistics in some regions – principally those covering the capital – slightly down since DfE records began in 2006-7.