The impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns is still being felt in schools, teachers have said, as data shows a shocking rise in physical attacks on adults by children as young as five
Schools are still reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as alarming data shows children as young as five are being removed from school for physical attacks on teachers. A total of 3,599 children in reception and nursery years were suspended or even expelled due to physical assault on an adult during the 2022 to 2023 academic year, while a further 1,890 children were excluded for assault on another child.
It comes as teaching unions warned of violence among very young pupils getting worse since the Covid pandemic lockdowns. The figures are the “tip of the iceberg”, according to NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach.
“Levels of violence and abuse from pupils have increased since the pandemic,” Dr Roach told The Telegraph. “These figures represent the tip of the iceberg as we know that in too many cases schools fail to deal effectively with serious assaults and attacks on teachers. Schools… need to respond to the increase in violent and disruptive behaviour by ensuring there are effective behaviour management policies in place to deal with and deter acts of violence and abuse.”
National Education Union assistant general secretary Rosamund McNeil added: “‘Increases in behavioural issues at primary school level is a real worry. Some 14 years of chronic underfunding has created larger class sizes and a loss of experienced teachers and pastoral posts.”
The data also says over 100 primary school pupils were suspended for theft in the same period, 855 punished for carrying weapons or other banned items and 148 for drug or alcohol misuse. A further 138 pupils, including one aged five or under were excluded for inappropriately using social media or technology.
During the autumn term in 2023, there were 25,724 suspensions and expulsions for children aged 11 and under, an increase of nearly 7,500 from the year before. Making up the total were 15,283 assaults against adults and 10,441 against other children.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school and should never face violence or abuse. The Education Secretary has been clear that she expects school leaders to enforce good behaviour and we are committed to a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools.
“Our Plan for Change sets out our relentless focus on making sure every child gets the best life chances, no matter their background, including establishing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, providing access to mental health support and making attendance one of the four core priorities of our school improvement teams.”
In December last year, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said education has become “fractured and fragmented for too many children”, while attendance remains a “stubborn and damaging issue” after Covid-19 lockdowns. In his first annual report as chief inspector of England’s education watchdog, Sir Martyn said Ofsted is “concerned” about the growing number of children “whose pattern of education is disjointed”.
Sir Martyn said he was “worried” about the rise of flexi-schooling – where parents home-educate their children for part of the week – across England. Schools can currently record flexi-schooling as an authorised absence which makes it difficult for the watchdog to track how many children are being partially educated at home, Ofsted’s report said.
