Rise in racist, homophobic, disablist school suspensions in Shropshire schools
Hundreds of pupils across Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin have been suspended or excluded from schools due to abuse linked to racism, sexuality, gender identity, or disability.
Hundreds of pupils across Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin have been suspended or excluded from schools due to abuse linked to racism, sexuality, gender identity, or disability.
Between 2020/21 and 2024/25, there were 20,975 suspensions or exclusions in Shropshire. However, in 346 occasions, racist abuse was mentioned, as well as 61 relating to sexuality/gender idenity, and 10 disability.
The research was uncovered by the BBC Shared Data Unit, who say that the rise in suspensions and exclusions is being driven by cuts to anti-bullying initiatives in schools and wider societal issues.
During the period in question, there were nearly 55,000 suspensions and hundreds of exclusions linked to racist abuse at English schools.
Department for Education data documenting reasons for suspensions also shows schools logged homophobic or transphobic abuse more than 13,000 times and disablist abuse about 1,600 times in the same period.
Because schools can record up to three reasons for each suspension, these figures do not represent individual incidents but show how often different forms of abuse are cited.
The Government described the figures – gathered since the pandemic – as “shocking” and said discrimination had no place in schools.
The statistics analysed by the BBC Shared Data Unit also show a 68 per cent rise in mentions of abuse linked to race, gender identity, sexuality or disability between spring term 2021/22 and spring term 2024/25 – the latest available data, excluding 2020/21 due to the impact of the pandemic on school attendance.
A range of experts told the BBC funding cuts to outreach services, social media harms, divisive politics and a lack of mandatory teacher training were among issues contributing to a growing problem.
Charities, unions and teachers also cited less tolerance of discrimination and discriminatory language in schools, heightened awareness and a growth in the use of suspensions overall as reasons for the increase.
Councillor Andy Hall, portfolio holder for children and education at Shropshire Council, said that the local authority (LA) routinely tracks and monitors suspensions and exclusions data, including by reason, along with other indicators such as age and school.
“The LA uses this data to identify trends so that services and support can be designed around the needs and best interests of children and the evolving education agenda,” he said.
“Around two per cent of Shropshire’s suspensions and exclusions in this period relate to racism, sexuality, gender identity and disability.
“Our LA takes these significant issues seriously and we continually aim to develop our offer of support, advice and training in response to changes in data and the wider agendas in schools and society.
“An example of how Shropshire is responding to such needs is action to introduce ‘positive masculinity’ training in the autumn, closely followed by training on gender/sexuality so that schools/settings and LA practitioners feel well placed to address and support the wider inclusion agenda.
“Our transformation agenda for SEND, Families First, Youth and Best Start in Life also incorporates effective use of data (such as for exclusions/suspensions) to help us plan how early identification and intervention services will further develop in our communities across the county.”
Meanwhile, in Telford and Wrekin, out of 17,191 suspensions and exclusions, there were 167 mentions of racist abuse, 54 sexuality/gender, and six disability.
A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesperson said: “We work closely with schools across the Borough to help address issues related to suspensions and exclusions. Our Behaviour Support Advisory Team can provide direct support to young people in school, as well as guidance to staff on developing whole-school approaches that foster a strong sense of belonging.
“The figures released show that the proportion of suspensions related to abuse, including disability, gender, and race, in Telford and Wrekin is below both neighbouring authority and national levels. In the last three years there hasn’t been any permanent exclusions for these forms of abuse.”