The five Bury schools with highest exclusions rates

The five schools in Bury have been highlighted for their exclusion rates as charity The Children's Society calls for stronger government guidance on the problem.

The figures from 2020 to 2021 reveal huge differences in the rate of exclusions as 40 of the 78 schools in Bury did not exclude a single pupil.

Of the 38 in the borough with at least 100 pupils, the exclusion rate was highest at The Heys School in Prestwich.

The secondary sponsor-led academy ordered three permanent exclusions and 198 temporary exclusions – a rate of 29.7 per 100 pupils.

The schools with the highest exclusion rates in Bury in 2020-21 were:

1. The Heys School, Prestwich – state-funded secondary – 29.7 exclusions per 100 pupils
2. Tottington High School – state-funded secondary – 28.7 exclusions per 100 pupils
3. Manchester Mesivta School, Prestwich – state-funded secondary – 25 exclusions per 100 pupils
4. Hazel Wood High School, Bury – state-funded secondary – 19.6 exclusions per 100 pupils
5. Radcliffe Primary School – state-funded primary – 15 exclusions per 100 pupils

The Department for Education’s figures show there were a total of 1,310 permanent or temporary exclusions an average rate of 4.5 exclusions for every 100 pupils.

Speaking on their exclusion rate, a spokesperson from Hazel Wood High School said: "Hazel Wood High School has been on a strong trajectory of improvement over the last few years and works hard to ensure all members of its community succeed.

"Sometimes it has been necessary to use exclusions and suspensions as a last resort, to uphold our very high standards and ensure our students feel happy and safe at all times.

"We are pleased to report that our rate of exclusions and suspensions have dramatically reduced as excellent behaviour, routines and standards have become the norm."

The Children’s Society said there may be a number of reasons for the wide discrepancies in exclusion numbers between schools.

Iryna Pona, policy and impact manager for the organisation, said: "Behavioural issues that could lead to exclusion, are often an indicator of larger issues children are experiencing, such as unmet special educational needs, bullying, abuse or exploitation.

“Some schools may have more children that require additional support, some may lack resources or awareness and training so they don’t know how to support the child and tackle any issues before resorting to excluding.

“Whatever the reason, the numbers show that there is the lack of consistent child centred approach that allows for the needs of the child to be understood and supported across all schools in the same way that would reduce the number of exclusions."

She also called for stronger government guidance that requires schools to work with partners in social care and the community to ensure greater oversight of exclusion decisions.

Although Bury’s exclusion rate is only 0.2 percent higher than the average across England, the Department for Education said it supports head teachers to choose how and when to use suspensions to maintain a calm, safe, and supportive environment.

A spokeswoman added: "We are clear that permanent exclusion should only be used when absolutely necessary, as a last resort and this should not mean exclusion from education.

“Our updated statutory guidance, coming into force this academic year, sets out how and when to use suspensions in particular circumstances as a behaviour tool, and supports decisions to exclude when required.”

All five borough schools named in the figures have been approached for comments.