Ban permanent exclusions from primary schools, says ex-children’s tsar as figures soar

The report suggests a ban on primary school exclusions from 2026, writes Emily Atkinson

Data reveals that the number of children excluded from school rose by 5 per cent between 2018 and 2019 (PA)

A new report has called for a ban on exclusion culture in primary schools, which it argues puts young people at risk of low attainment, serious violence and criminal exploitation.

The Commission on Young Lives, led by former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield, has also pushed for the removal of a child from secondary school to become “a genuine last resort” and proposed that school league tables include an agreed measurement of pupil wellbeing alongside exam results.

Ms Longfield said: “High aspiration, high standards and high expectations should always go alongside a sense of responsibility for all children. We should never be content with an education system that too often provides those who want to exploit children with a conveyor belt of vulnerable teenagers. An inclusive education system is a key weapon in our battle against them.”