Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children who are suspended from school who have (a) mental health challenges, (b) care experience, (c) experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences, (d) learning differences and (e) SEND.

The department does not hold information on absence by the specific categories of mental health challenges, care experience or learning differences, but does hold absence data by special educational need (SEN) primary need and SEN provision. This is published in the ’Pupil Absence in Schools in England’ statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england. The following links give absence rates by SEN primary need and SEN provision in England in 2021/22: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/4f2e3e6f-bd4d-475a-f345-08dc3835f618, and: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e227eadc-6f55-4c88-525a-08dc3ae70a0c.

Information on the number of children looked after who have been absent from school is published annually in the ’Outcomes for Children in Need, Including Children Looked After in England’ statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/outcomes-for-children-in-need-including-children-looked-after-by-local-authorities-in-england. The following link gives information on absence rates for children looked after on 31 March 2022: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/62dd649a-c5bd-4bc7-f354-08dc3835f618.

The department does not hold data on ‘off-rolling’. The government is clear that off-rolling (the practice of removing a pupil from the school roll without using a permanent exclusion, when the removal is primarily in the best interests of the school, rather than the best interests of the pupil) is unacceptable in any form and continues to work with Ofsted to tackle it.

The department does not hold information on suspensions by the specific categories of mental health challenges, care experienced or learning differences, but does hold suspensions data by SEN primary need and SEN provision. This is published in the ’Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England’ statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england. The following links give suspension rates by SEN primary need and SEN provision in England in 2021/22: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d4cda29e-4001-4c50-525d-08dc3ae70a0c, and: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8a5b1881-c48c-46fd-525e-08dc3ae70a0c.

Information on the number of children looked after with a suspension is published annually in the ‘Outcomes for Children in Need, Including Children Looked After in England’ statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/outcomes-for-children-in-need-including-children-looked-after-by-local-authorities-in-england. The following link gives information on suspension rates for children looked after on 31 March 2021: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/43a05b59-1957-41b0-5268-08dc3ae70a0c.