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EXCLUSIONS FROM SCHOOLS, 2002/03

February 17, 2004 (revised version September 2, 2004) ¹

A Scottish Executive National Statistics Publication

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The tables are available as an Excel Spreadsheet

The results of the survey on exclusions from schools are published today by the Scottish Executive Education Department. The results relate to the school year 2002/03. Exclusions, in this context, include both temporary exclusions and pupils removed from the register.

Most of the data refers to cases of exclusion, which should not be confused with the number of pupils excluded, as some pupils were excluded more than once during the year.

The main findings are:

• During 2002/03 there were 36,496 exclusions from local authority primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland, a decrease of three per cent from 2001/02. Over 99 per cent of all exclusions were temporary. In 292 cases, pupils were removed from the register of the school, a decrease of 12 per cent from the 2001/02 figure of 332. Overall, male pupils accounted for 81 per cent of exclusions. (Tables 1 and 4)
• Eleven per cent of all exclusions were from primary schools. There were 10 exclusions per 1,000 pupils in primary schools in 2002/03. Exclusions in primary school decreased from around 4,500 in 1999/00 to 4,131 in 2002/03. (Tables 2a, 3a and 14)
• Eighty-five per cent of all exclusions were from secondary schools. In 2002/03 there were 98 exclusions per 1,000 pupils in secondary schools. Exclusion rates peaked during S3, with 170 exclusions per 1,000 pupils. Exclusions in secondary schools decreased from 33,197 in 1999/2000 to 31,055 in 2002/03. (Tables 2b, 3b, and 14)
• Four per cent of all exclusions in 2002/03 were from special schools. There were 173 exclusions per 1,000 pupils in special schools. Exclusions in special schools have generally increased since 1999/2000. (Tables 2c, 3c and 14)
• Eighty-eight per cent of all temporary exclusions lasted one week or less. ( Table 6)
• Some pupils were excluded more than once during the year. In 2002/03, 20,180 different pupils accounted for the 36,204 temporary exclusions ( three per cent of pupils in local authority schools). Of these pupils, 12,505 were temporarily excluded on one occasion only and 3,850 were temporarily excluded twice. Fifty-one pupils were temporarily excluded 10 times or more. ( Table 7)
• Comparison with the overall school population shows that pupils entitled to free school meals, pupils with a Record of Needs, or pupils looked after by the local authority, all had higher exclusion rates than other pupils. ( Table 9)
• Twenty-three per cent of exclusions were due to general or persistent disobedience (where the reasons were known); 18 per cent involved verbal abuse of members of staff; and 13 per cent involved physical abuse of fellow pupils. ( Table 10)
• Overall, there were 50 exclusions per 1,000 pupils from local authority primary, secondary, and special schools in Scotland in 2002/03. This ranged from 91 per 1,000 in Dundee City to seven per 1,000 in Eilean Siar and Shetland Islands. ( Table 13)

CONTENTS

TABLES

Table 1 - Exclusions by type of exclusion, 1998/99 to 2002/03
Table 2 - Exclusions by sector, stage and gender, 2002/03
Table 3 - Exclusions by sector and stage, 1999/2000 to 2002/03
Table 4 - Exclusions by sector and gender, 1999/2000 to 2002/03
Table 5 - Number of half days lost due to removal from the register, 2002/03
Table 6 - Temporary exclusions by duration, 2002/03
Table 7 - Number of times that pupils were temporarily excluded, 2002/03
Table 8 - Exclusions by ethnic background of pupils, 2002/03
Table 9 - Exclusions amongst particular groups of pupils, 2002/03
Table 10 - Exclusions by type and reason for exclusion, 2002/03
Table 11 - Exclusions by reason for exclusion 1998/99 to 2002/03
Table 12 - Appeals against exclusions, 1998/99 to 2002/03
Table 13 - Exclusions by type of exclusion and local authority, 2002/03
Table 14 - Exclusions by school sector and local authority, 2002/03
Table 15 - Temporary exclusions and number of different pupils temporarily excluded by local authority, 2002/03
Table 16 - Temporary exclusions by local authority, 1998/99 to 2002/03
Table 17 - Removals from the register by local authority, 1999/2000 to 2002/03
Table 18 - Total exclusions by local authority, 1999/2000 to 2002/03

CHARTS

Chart 1 - Exclusions by stage, 2002/03
Chart 2 - Exclusions by school sector, 1999/2000 to 2002/03
Chart 3 - Exclusions by gender, 1999/2000 to 2002/03
Chart 4 - Temporary exclusions by duration, 2002/03
Chart 5 - Number of times that pupils were temporarily excluded, 2002/03

BACKGROUND NOTES

2. Under Circulars 10/93 and 1/95, local authorities are required each year to collect certain statistics from schools on exclusions. The statistics relate to half-days of temporary exclusions and number of pupils removed from the register (previously known as 'permanent' exclusions).
4. An exclusion is temporary when a pupil is excluded from a school but remains on the register of that school because they are expected to return when the exclusion period is completed. The term 'removed from the register' refers to a pupil who is excluded and their name removed from the school register. Such a pupil would then be educated at another school or via some other form of provision. The process of being removed and subsequently receiving education elsewhere can either take place with or without a break in school attendance. Local authorities have different procedures for use of temporary exclusions and removal from the register with and without a break in attendance.
6. In April 1998, the then Scottish Office issued Circular 2/98 to local authorities, informing them of a formal requirement to report, record and monitor additional information on exclusions from schools starting from the 1998/99 school year. Following the issue of Circular 2/98, the Scottish Executive collected and collated this additional information from local authorities for the first time in September 1999.
8. Following an answer to a Parliamentary Question in June 2003, the Executive issued Circular 8/03 in November 2003, which gave revised guidance and formally informed local authorities that the target to reduce exclusions had been dropped. Exclusions in this publication pre-date this circular.
10. This survey covers local authority primary, secondary and special schools. There was one self-governing primary school in 2002/03 which was not covered by this survey.
12. The following symbol is used: - = zero or rounds to zero
14. Revision September 2004: It has recently come to our attention that the temporary exclusions figures for Renfrewshire authority in 1998/99 were revised in 1999/2000 (increasing from 474 to 2,700). In addition, the number of removals from the register for Scotland in 1998/99 (and therefore the total number of exclusions in 1998/99) were now thought to be an undercount and therefore not comparable with subsequent years. Tables 1 and 16 have been altered to take account of the revised temporary exclusions figures and 1998/99 data has been removed from tables 3, 4, 17 and 18, and charts 2 and 3.
16. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference
18. All tables are available on the Scottish Executive website at
19. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00321-00.asp

Enquiries

10. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this notice should be addressed to Bianca Heggie, Education and Children Statistics Unit, Room 1A, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Telephone 0131 244 0300

    or e-mail school.stats@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

11. Media enquiries about the information in this notice should be addressed to:

Marion MacKay: 0131 244 3070

Statistics Publication Notice
17 February 2003 (revised September 2, 2004. Please see Background Note 7 above.)

Footnote

1 This publication has been revised to take account of amended exclusion figures for 1998/99 - see background note 7 for further information. Figures for other years have not changed.

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