Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to address regional disparities in school exclusion rates.

The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.

The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support

The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.

Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.