DfE figures show more pupils suspended repeatedly, and for longer periods, than before pandemic in 2020

School leaders have said they lack the resources to manage a rising tide of challenging behaviour since the Covid pandemic, after new figures showed a significant rise in the number of pupils being suspended and expelled in England.

The figures from the Department for Education (DfE) showed that more pupils were being suspended repeatedly, and for longer periods, than before the pandemic struck in 2020 and schools were closed for most children over extended periods.