Suspensions and exclusions have fallen year-on-year overall, but have risen in primary schools.

The combined rate of suspensions and exclusions reduced from 4.1 in autumn 2024-25 to 3.8 in the same period in 2025-26, analysis by FFT Education Datalab indicates.

Suspensions tend to outnumber exclusions by around 20 to one, so the figures are mainly for suspensions, FFT says.

Most year groups from Reception to Year 11 saw a fall in the 2025-26 autumn term compared with autumn 2024-25, but there was a rise in Years 1-4.

In Reception and Years 5-6, the combined rate stayed the same or was slightly reduced.

Year 4 saw the biggest increase, from 1 per cent in autumn 2024-25 to 1.3 per cent in the latest data.

Year 10s mostly like to be suspended or excluded

Meanwhile, secondary schools saw sizeable reductions in every year group, “particularly those with the highest rates, Years 9 and 10”, the researchers say.

The rates used by FFT are the total number of exclusions and suspensions divided by the total number of pupils. Because some students receive more than one sanction, the figures do not equate to the proportion of pupils being suspended or excluded.

Proportionally, Year 10 students were the most likely to receive at least one sanction, with nearly 5 per cent falling into this category.

More than 8 per cent of disadvantaged students in Years 8, 9 and 10 - around one in 12 - were suspended or excluded at least once in autumn 2025-26, the researchers note.