FIGURES have revealed which schools in Dorset excluded pupils most often last year.

Department for Education figures show there were a total of 2,357 fixed term exclusions, which includes permanent or temporary exclusions, across the 156 state schools in the Dorset Council area in the 2020-21 academic year.

This works out at a rate of 4.9 exclusions for every 100 pupils – above the average of 4.3 across England.

And of the 126 schools in the area with at least 100 pupils, this rate was highest at Wey Valley Academy in Weymouth.

The secondary converter academy ordered no permanent exclusions but carried out 192 temporary exclusions – a rate of 21.6 per 100 pupils. 46 schools in the area did not exclude a single pupil.

The schools with the highest exclusion rates in Dorset in 2020-21 were:

*Wey Valley Academy with 21.6 exclusions per 100 pupils

*All Saints' Church of England Academy in Weymouth with 20.7

*Atlantic Academy Portland with 17

*Budmouth Academy Weymouth with 14.1

*Shaftesbury School with 13.7

Wey Valley Academy and All Saints' Academy are both run by Ambitions Academies which assumed responsibility for both schools in 2019 prior to the first Covid lockdown.

Both schools said that during the initial transition period under new leadership, establishing a culture of high expectations of behaviour and learning was set out and achieved.

Principal of Wey Valley Academy, Thomas Neill said: "Wey Valley Academy is an inclusive school but we are also committed to high expectations of pupil behaviour. We follow the national exclusions guidance set out by government and have implemented a behaviour policy that is clearly understood by all members of the school community."

Ofsted visited the Academy in January 2022 and in their inspection report pointed out that the school went out of its way to avoid excluding vulnerable pupils and to keep pupils in school.

Principal of All Saints Academy, John Cornish, said: "We have high expectations of pupil behaviour and only use exclusion or suspension when necessary. We follow the national exclusions guidance set out by government and have implemented a behaviour policy that is clearly understood by all members of our school community."

A spokesperson for Aspirations Academies Trust which runs both Budmouth Academy and Atlantic Academy said that it was important to note that the statistics include repeat suspensions, whereby one pupil may be suspended on more than one occasion

The trust said that 5.4 per cent of pupils at Budmouth were suspended in 2021/22 and that there were no permanent exclusions last year during 2021/2022, which is below the national average.

The total number of students receiving a suspension at the Atlantic Academy was 5.6 per cent in 2021/2022.

The spokesman added that there was a Student Support Centre at Budmouth and Behaviour Team at Atlantic Academy as well as a well-supported pastoral system at both schools, which have helped address many of the needs of their students, have helped to reduce the number of students who have received a suspension.

The Trust stated that government guidance on exclusion is clear and is followed faithfully at Budmouth Academy and Atlantic Academy. It said that only the principal can authorise suspensions and permanent exclusions and will also consider the views of parents, teachers and the pupil. Other factors like safeguarding are also taken into account when making the decision to suspend/exclude or not.

A spokesman for Shaftesbury School said: "We have had some occasions, like all schools, where students have behaved in a way that is not compliant with our Behaviour Policy leading to a period of Fixed Term Suspension from school. Only two students have been permanently excluded from school during this timeframe.

"At Shaftesbury School we have very high expectations of our students with a very clear Behaviour Policy that is fairly and consistently applied."

The Department for Education said it supports headteachers to choose how and when to use suspensions to maintain a calm, safe, and supportive environment.

A spokeswoman added: "We are clear that permanent exclusion should only be used when absolutely necessary, as a last resort and this should not mean exclusion from education.

“Our updated statutory guidance, coming into force this academic year, sets out how and when to use suspensions in particular circumstances as a behaviour tool, and supports decisions to exclude when required.”