Government data revealed a record 787,961 suspensions and 9,376 permanent exclusions during the 2022-23 academic year, marking increases of 36% and 44%, respectively.

Pupil suspensions and exclusions in England have surged by over 20% in the past year, resulting in students missing 32 million days of learning, nearly double the 19 million lost before the pandemic.

The rise in suspensions and exclusions has raised concerns about children being shifted to alternative education settings, which may not provide adequate support.

Research indicates that students on free school meals are nearly five times more likely to be permanently excluded and four times more likely to be suspended than their peers.

Children with special educational needs are disproportionately affected, being up to five times more likely to be excluded from school without specialist support.

The NHS estimates that 23% of 11 to 16-year-olds have mental health needs, contributing to students leaving school for home education.

Education leaders have cited a rise in challenging behavior in classrooms and a growing mental health crisis among children since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Education acknowledged the alarming rise in suspensions and exclusions, attributing it to disruptive behavior and committing to improve access to mental health support in schools.

Research highlights that financially strained councils are increasingly spending on educating pupils outside mainstream schools, often compromising quality and safety.

Jenny Graham, Director of Research at The Difference, emphasized the need to trace missing children, stating that many may have fallen out of education entirely, leading to poor life outcomes.

The upcoming Children's Wellbeing Bill will require local authorities to maintain registers of children not in school to better locate and support missing students.

There has been a 56% increase in children transitioning from state schools to state-funded private provision from 2018-19 to 2023-24, with costs for private placements sometimes reaching £111,000 per year per child.