Revealed: Half of all children suspended from school have special educational needs

• 34 million school days lost due to record number of suspensions and unauthorised absences
• Children permanently excluded in 2023/24 to cost state £1.9bn billion
• Who is Losing Learning Coalition calls for extra funding for schools to prevent exclusions

The number of school days lost from children being suspended or absent has reached an all-time high, according to new analysis from the Who is Losing Learning Coalition.

The coalition - formed of IPPR, The Difference, Impetus and Mission 44 - analysed Department for Education data, released today, on suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, revealing:

• 34 million school days were lost, due to suspensions and unauthorised absence, in 2023/24, up from 32 million last year, a new record
• Children on free school meals are more than four times likely to be suspended from school
• Almost half (45 per cent) of all children suspended have special educational needs
• The rates of lost learning for children with autism has increased by 29 per cent and by 20 per cent for children with mental health needs
• Roma (Gypsy) children are over three times more likely to be permanently excluded
• Poorer children are more than four times more likely to be suspended than their peers

Today’s new analysis shows £1.9bn will be lost to the Exchequer for last year’s excluded cohort. When children are told to leave their school permanently, they go on to cost the state £170,000 over a lifetime in reduced earnings, welfare use, and criminal justice costs.  

Local authorities (LAs) with the highest poverty levels are worst affected by lost learning – five of the hardest-hit areas have around two in five children in poverty.

The ten worst LAs for suspensions and unauthorised absences are:

The Who is Losing Learning Coalition is calling for the government to use its upcoming Schools White Paper to tackle this growing issue. The coalition argues for more funding to be ring-fenced for prevention, so that children can be supported before their needs spiral. An £850 million investment would support half a million of the most at risk children, and would save as much as it costs.

Kiran Gill, founder and CEO at The Difference and associate fellow at IPPR, said: 

“It is children having the toughest time outside of school who are struggling to stay in the classroom. These include children struggling with daily experiences of poverty – hunger, familial stress and precarious housing – which affect their mental health.  They need the safety and learning of school the most, but today’s data shows they’re getting the least. As Government looks at reform we need to make sure funding reaches children as quickly as possible when they need it, and to must back headteachers to support every child to stay in school. The Difference is supporting school leaders to walk towards this problem, setting up quality internal Alternative Provision which can identify needs before they escalate.”

Avnee Morjaria, associate director at IPPR, said:  

“Thousands of children remain persistently absent, excluded, or drifting through the system unnoticed – and the numbers are rising. Those hardest hit are often the most disadvantaged: children from low-income families, those with special educational needs, and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.  

“Schools are overstretched and under-supported, and without urgent action, we risk letting this crisis of lost learning become a lasting legacy. We need bold reform, investing in a system that is inclusive by design instead of support being locked behind legislative thresholds”

Susannah Hardyman, CEO of Impetus, said:

“Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are five times more likely to be permanently excluded from school and twice as likely to be persistently absent, and the consequences can last a lifetime. Rising levels of lost learning are a symptom of deeper inequalities in our education system – and a warning sign for an already strained labour market. Young people cannot learn and attain if they are not in school and not engaged, and our research has found that young people who have been suspended even once are twice as likely to not be in education, employment, or training (NEET) by age 24.  

“But the upcoming Schools White Paper presents an opportunity to embed inclusion in government policy and place the needs of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds at the heart of the education system. The Who is Losing Learning Coalition spent months investigating the scale of the lost learning crisis and developing cross-sector consensus on solutions – and now is the time to put them into practice. By equipping schools with the resources they need to identify needs early and provide support before challenges become barriers, we can prevent most exclusions – transforming the lives not only of the children who are at risk of exclusion today, but the adults they will become.”  

Jason Arthur, CEO at Mission 44, said:  

“These figures expose a system that is unable to support thousands of young people — especially those on the margins, who remain significantly more likely to be excluded from school.

“For too long, disadvantage and discrimination have created barriers to learning, denying opportunity and writing off potential. When children are sent home instead of being supported, it isn’t just a failure of the system – it’s a failure of justice.

“Preventing exclusions is one of the most effective things we can do to break the cycle of inequity so that lost learning today doesn’t become lost futures tomorrow. This crisis demands urgent, targeted investment and bold political will. We are ready to support the government to create a more inclusive education system which will benefit every child.”

ENDS  

Spokespeople available upon request

Further case studies in primaries, secondaries and Alternative Provision schools for excluded pupils across the country available on request.

CONTACT  

Liam Evans, senior digital and media officer: 07419 365334 l.evans@ippr.org  

NOTES TO EDITORS  

1. Analysis is based on suspensions and permanent exclusions in England for the academic year 2023/24, and pupil absence from schools in England 2023/24 from the Department for Education.
2. The Difference is a school leadership charity for whole school inclusion and works to bring the best in education to the children who need it most. www.the-difference.com
3. Impetus transforms the education and employment outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. We do this by using our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits in these sectors the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact. Through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change, we work towards a society where all young people can thrive in school, pass their exams and unlock the doors to sustained employment, for a fulfilling life.  
4. Launched by Seven Time Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2021, Mission 44 is a charity that is working to build a fairer, more inclusive future for young people around the world. The charity is driving change so that every young person can thrive in education and access great careers in STEM.  By funding innovative programmes, connecting changemakers, and campaigning to shift policy and attitudes, Mission 44 is breaking down systemic barriers for underrepresented young people around the world.
5. IPPR is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. IPPR is an independent charity which has seconded staff to government departments including DHSC and DESNZ to support ministers on crucial policies such as the 10-year health plan and the industrial strategy: www.ippr.org