Summary statistics for schools in Scotland - No. 6: 2015 Edition

This contains the results of the annual pupil census, annual teacher census, early learning and childcare data , school estates data, attendance and absence data and exclusions data.


8. Exclusions

18,430 cases of exclusion in 14/15, down from 21,955 in 12/13

27.2 cases of exclusion per 1,000 pupils in 14/15, down from 32.8 in 12/13

In Scotland, the power exists to exclude children and young people from school where it is considered that to allow the child or young person to continue attendance at school would be seriously detrimental to order and discipline in the school or the educational wellbeing of the learners there. However, the number of exclusions has been falling year on year since 2006/07.

Table 8.1 below provides information on the number of cases of exclusion in recent academic years. Information on exclusions was not collected in 2011/12 or 2013/14, as this data is now collected only once every two years. Over 99 per cent of all exclusions are for a fixed period of time, referred to here as temporary exclusions, and pupils are expected to return to their original school when the exclusion period is completed. In a small number of cases, 5 in 2014/15, an excluded pupil is 'removed from the register'. When this occurs a pupil does not return to their original school and will be educated at another school or in some other educational provision.

Table 8.1: Cases of exclusion and rate per 1,000 pupils by type of exclusion, 2006/07 to 2014/15 (1)

2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2012/13(2) 2014/15
Exclusions in total 44,794 39,717 33,917 30,211 26,844 21,955 18,430
Of which:
Temporary exclusions 44,546 39,553 33,830 30,144 26,784 21,934 18,425
Removed from register 248 164 87 67 60 21 5
Exclusion rate per 1,000 pupils 63.9 57.5 49.9 44.7 40.0 32.8 27.2
Of which
Temporary exclusion rate 63.5 57.3 49.7 44.6 39.9 32.7 27.2
Removed from register rate 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

(1) Information on exclusions is now collected on a biennial basis see background note 2.4 for details
(2) 2012/13 data was amended in February 2014 to include information on 19 exclusions that were supplied after the publication date.

The exclusion rate per 1,000 pupils, for pupils who have an additional support need, is more than 4 times higher than those who have no additional support needs. Deprivation also plays an important factor in the likelihood of exclusion. Rates of exclusions per 1,000 pupils are more than 6 times greater for pupils living in the 20 per cent of areas associated with most deprivation, compared with pupils living in the 20 per cent associated with least deprivation, as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Table 8.2: Cases of exclusion and rate per 1,000 pupils by gender, additional support needs and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD 2012), 2014/15

Cases of exclusions Rate per 1,000 pupils
Male 14,667 42.6
Female 3,763 11.3
Pupils with Additional Support needs 9,688 69.0
Pupils with no Additional support needs 8,638 16.1
Lowest 20% of SIMD (Most deprived) 7,579 52.0
Highest 20% of SIMD (Least deprived) 1,005 7.9

Contact

Email: Adam Naylor

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