Nineteen pupils suspended each week for attacking staff and other children in schools in Kirklees

Nov 10 2009 by Barry Gibson

NINETEEN pupils were suspended from schools in Kirklees every week for attacking staff and other children, a new report has revealed.

The shocking Government figures show there were 730 suspensions for physical attacks in 2007/08.

And schools in Kirklees suspended a further 60 pupils each week for other reasons from a total of 3,010 suspensions in 2007/08, the Department for Schools statistics claim.

And, according to Kirklees Council’s own figures, 709 pupils were suspended from school in 2008/09 for assaults, 137 of which were against an adult.

But Kirklees said it had reduced the number of suspensions from 3,021 in 2006/07 to 2,226 in the last school year 2008/09.

A council spokesman added that Kirklees had cut the number of expulsions from 44 in 2007/08 to 30 in 2008/09.

He said: “Head teachers in Kirklees always consider early intervention and alternatives to exclusion prior to excluding pupils.

“Kirklees schools have a wide range of options at their disposal, some of which involve additional support from the local authority.

“What steps are normally taken before exclusion will depend on the school’s behaviour policy and the merits of the individual case and will differ from school to school.

“Alternatives to exclusion can include restorative justice, mediation, a managed move to another school or exclusion within the school.