School suspensions and exclusions in England have dropped for the first time since the pandemic, according to government figures released on Thursday.
There were 913,000 suspensions across state schools in 2024/25, a 4% decrease on the year before.
Permanent exclusions were also down 9%, at 9,900.
Suspension rates dropped in secondary and special schools, but have increased in primary schools.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the pandemic had left a “pernicious legacy”, but that teachers across the country were helping the next generation “turn a corner”.
“After years of spiralling suspensions and permanent exclusions, there are clear signs that the combined efforts of schools, parents and the government are working – and we are determined to keep driving forward that progress to fix the behaviour crisis we inherited,” she said.
Before the latest figures, rates of suspensions and exclusions in England’s schools had been rising since before the pandemic.
Last year, school suspensions reached their highest level in nearly 20 years and, despite Thursday’s drop, rates are still higher than they were in 2018/19.
Suspended pupils must stay out of school for a fixed period up to a maximum of 45 days in a school year, while those excluded are permanently removed from their school.
Nearly half of suspensions (46%) were for one day or less. But 94,400 pupils missed more than a week of school last year due to suspensions.
Schools can give up to three reasons for every suspension or exclusion. Persistent disruptive behaviour remains the most common reason why pupils are sent home, accounting for just over half (52%) of all reasons given for suspensions and 40% of exclusions in 2024/25.
The next two most common reasons for suspension were verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult, followed by physical assault against a pupil.
Secondary school pupils account for the vast majority of all suspensions (85%).
But in primary schools, unlike secondary schools, suspension rates have risen. There were 112,545 suspensions in primary schools in 2024/25, up by 7,742 on the previous year.
Pupils with special educational needs (SEND) continue to have some of the highest rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions. Nearly nine in 10 permanent exclusions that happen in primary schools involve a child who has SEND.
Pupils who qualify for free school meals are also four times more likely to be suspended than pupils who aren’t on free school meals.
And male pupils are suspended at a rate 1.5 times higher than female pupils.
Research by Impetus , externalsuggests the impact of suspensions can be significant, with young people suspended at secondary school being twice as likely, external to not be in education, employment or training (NEET) by the time they’re 24 when compared to their classmates, according to their findings.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) welcomed the overall drop, but said schools were “not equipped” to deal with the issue alone.
“A sustained effort is needed to tackle the root causes of poor behaviour, which often originate from challenges in children’s lives outside the classroom, from poverty to mental health issues.”
The union wants to see more funding put into social care and mental health services to help pupils access support outside school.
Cara Cinnamon, chief impact officer at Mission 44, a charity founded by racing driver Lewis Hamilton that campaigns to reduce the use of isolation and exclusions, said permanent exclusion was intended to be a last resort, but that was not always the case.
She told the BBC there were “far too many exclusions, and there are plenty of exclusions that can be prevented”.
“If we are intervening early and meeting young people’s needs as soon as we understand them, then we can prevent the vast majority of exclusions that we see.”
She said there were “some very worrying patterns about who is disproportionately affected”.
The charity has lobbied the government to commit to introducing new guidance for schools on how to keep their students engaged. They have also called for a more diverse teaching workforce and more mentors for those at risk of exclusion.
The government announced earlier this year that they want to bring in changes to how schools deal with suspensions, so that pupils are not automatically sent home and could instead remain on site.
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