BRADFORD Council has said its schools only suspend students when there is "no better choice" as numbers hit a record high.

Department for Education figures show there were 18,504 suspensions in the 2022-23 academic year – the highest since records began for the area.

It was up from 10,362 suspensions the year before, and an increase from 5,865 in 2018-19, before the pandemic.

Of the suspensions, 11,050 (60 per cent) were for children eligible for free school meals.

Those from Gypsy Roma backgrounds had the highest suspension rate at 133.3 per 100 students – 7.2 times the area's average suspension rate of 18.4 per 100 students.

Permanent exclusions in Bradford were also at their highest with 149 recorded last year.

Councillor Sue Duffy, Bradford Council's executive member for children and families, said: “It is important for schools to be safe, calm places where children can do their best and staff can deliver a great education. 

“Schools take their responsibilities around promoting positive behaviour amongst children seriously and only suspend students when there’s no better choice. 

“All but two of the secondary schools in Bradford district are academies which means they are not run by the council, nevertheless we work with all schools to look at how often suspensions happen and why.

"This helps us, collectively, see if any extra help is needed to support schools to manage behaviour positively.”

Across England, suspensions rose 36 per cent from 578,300 in 2021-22 to 787,000 last year – the highest number on record.

The number of permanent exclusions across the country also reached a record high at 9,376 in 2022-23, a rise of 44 per cent on the year before.

More than half (55%) of all suspensions in England were among children eligible for free school meals, meaning their parent or carer is receiving one of several benefits.

Education minister Stephen Morgan said the "shocking" figures are a wake-up call about problems in schools.

He added: "They put into sharp focus that too many pupils are being held back by their background and that our education system is failing to meet the needs of children with additional needs."

He said the Government has already committed to more mental health professionals in secondary schools, free breakfast clubs in primary schools, and earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.