MIDDLESBROUGH is bottom of the class as figures for England show almost one in ten of the town’s pupils were suspended from school last year.

Schoolchildren in Middlesbrough were suspended 2,080 times during 2013/14 – the highest number of suspensions for any authority in the country and the equivalent of nearly one in ten pupils.

Research from the Department for Education shows that the town’s children lost 3,800 school days after being temporarily excluded from school.

A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said today it was actively working with schools to address the issue and seek “positive alternatives” to the use of exclusion.

In better news for the region, children in Redcar and Cleveland and in Darlington were exceptionally well behaved with both authorities recording no exclusions during the period – two of only eight authorities to do so in the country.

The DfE’s annual survey of suspensions and exclusions in England shows about one in every 500 pupils was excluded in 2013/14, an average of 0.06 per cent.

Regionally, the East and West Midlands had the highest rate of exclusion at 0.09 per cent while closer to home, Yorkshire and the Humber had the lowest rate, at 0.04 per cent.

Permanent exclusions in primary, secondary and special schools increased by seven per cent despite a general decline since 2004.

Drug and alcohol-related exclusions are up by 14 per cent and racial abuse in primary schools is up by 16 per cent.

Primary school pupils were handed 11,420 suspensions for assaulting adults, contributing to the 50 pupils a day suspended for doing so.

Overall, persistent disruptive behaviour is listed as the most common reason behind permanent exclusions.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said the figures reflect new powers for teachers that give them more confidence in excluding pupils.

However, Russell Hobby, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT blamed g

Government cuts.

He said: “It’s a challenging time for families who use and need public services facing cuts.

“This sometimes manifests as behaviour problems at younger ages than we might expect.

“Headteachers must be supported in maintaining discipline and getting young people the early support they need.”

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said their success at achieving a zero per cent exclusion rate is down to the hard work and success of schools working together to ensure the best outcome for any child at risk of exclusion.