School suspensions are associated with a complex mix of socioeconomic disadvantage, special educational needs, peer relationships and students' school experiences, according to research from the University of Manchester published in the British Educational Research Journal.
The study examined survey responses from more than 19,000 secondary school students linked to administrative records across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Students receiving special educational needs support or with an Education, Health and Care Plan were more than twice as likely to be suspended as those without such needs. Students eligible for free school meals also faced increased suspension risk.
Several factors were associated with lower suspension risk, the research found: students feeling they belonged at school, satisfaction with academic attainment, positive relationships with school staff and stronger emotion regulation skills. By contrast, higher peer pressure, bullying experiences and recent substance use were linked to increased likelihood of suspension.
The analysis, drawn from the #BeeWell youth well-being program led by the University of Manchester with Anna Freud and the Gregson Family Foundation, covered 19,064 students in Years 8 and 10 across 69 mainstream secondary schools in Hampshire and Southampton during the 2023–24 academic year. Around 6% had been suspended at least once during the year.
Lead author Dr. Stephanie Cahill said the findings suggest suspension should not be viewed solely through individual behavior but within the wider circumstances surrounding young people. The researchers caution that the study identifies associations rather than causal relationships and that schools may require increased government support to develop individualized approaches to prevent suspensions.
