Pupils eligible for free school meals, and with special educational needs and disabilities, were suspended more often than other students
Children in Hackney face a school exclusion rate that is 65% above the London average, recently released figures have shown.
Pupils in the borough were excluded nearly 90 per cent more often than in outer London, and over 50 per cent more than the inner London average, according to new research by local education partnership Hackney REP.
“Our young people are being systematically disadvantaged, discriminated against, and failed,” said May Rowland, coordinator of Hackney REP.
Students eligible for free school meals in secondary school are facing double the suspension rate of their ineligible classmates.
Starker still is the experience of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, who have suspension rates between three and five times higher than their peers without such issues.
“Hostile learning environments”
“It was a crisis waiting to happen,” said Sarah Wilson, senior playworker at Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground (SWAPA), which regularly looks after excluded pupils.
“The number of school non-attendance post-Covid has gone way up.
“There are massive issues with school exclusions and here tends to be somewhere where children come and most of the time get on quite well.
“We’re meeting a lot of families who need a lot of support. Workload is increasing and it’s harder to keep the staff,” Wilson added.
Exclusion can be a trigger point for criminal exploitation. A study of UK prisoners found 63 per cent had been suspended from school, and a further 42 per cent had been permanently excluded.
The absence of routine and safety provided by a school environment leaves unsupervised pupils vulnerable to grooming.
Rowland believes many young people are battling against “hostile learning environments”.
“We need to improve our education to enable young people to access education according to their rights and needs and achieve the best they can.”
Despite this, a new report published on Monday found that 70 per cent of Hackney pupils met expected standards in 2023 – ten per cent above the national average.
Hackney Mayor Caroline Woodley has pledged to support Hackney REP’s efforts to challenge school exclusions and drive positive educational reforms in the borough.
