Fewer pupils in Leeds being excluded for racist abuse

But with racism-related exclusions at a record high across England, anti-racism campaign group Hope Note Hate said schools are clamping down on abuse.

Department for Education data shows Leeds's schools excluded students 73 times for racist abuse in 2018-19.

That was down from 96 in the previous academic year.

All were fixed-term exclusions, also known as suspensions, where a pupil is temporarily removed. The figures include abuse by children at state-funded primary, secondary and special schools in the area.

The picture in Leeds differed from that across the rest of England, where pupils were excluded for racist bullying on 4,900 occasions last year – the highest since records began in 2006-07, and up from 4,300 in 2017-18.

Owen Jones, head of education at Hope Not Hate, said the number of additional racist abuse exclusions last year was "worrying".

However, he added: "From what we have seen, there is a much better concerted effort to clamp down and take it more seriously.

"The process of exclusion is fraught for everyone involved, but the tolerance for that behaviour is reducing.

"Students of colour are having more confidence to speak up. It's not just about the 'n' word, it's about comments made throughout the day which make students feel unwelcome."

Angela Wright, education development lead at anti-hate crime charity Stop Hate UK, said targets for racist incidents are becoming increasingly younger.

"It is important to remember that behind every hate incident is an individual and family that are affected," she said.

She added that the charity has seen a desire among students to "make a change and call out racism", following the death of black American George Floyd while in police custody in May.

Overall, Leeds schools excluded pupils 6,533 times in 2018-19 – equivalent to 126 exclusions every week.

This was an increase of 25% on the previous year, when they handed out 5,206 exclusions.

The rise in total exclusions in Leeds reflects the trend across England, where the figure rose by 7% to 446,000.

Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, fears there will be further exclusions as a result of children struggling to adjust to being back at school after the coronavirus lockdown.

"Excluding a child makes them more vulnerable to exploitation by criminal gangs and less likely to leave education with the qualifications they need to succeed,” she said.

A DfE spokesman said permanent exclusion should be a last resort.

He added: “We know that some pupils will return to school in September having experienced loss or adversity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which is why we have also provided guidance for school leaders on how to re-engage these pupils and create the right classroom environment to help them thrive.”

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