Pupils as young as five suspended from school over sexual misconduct
Schools in England recorded 7,278 suspensions for sexual misconduct in 2024/25, the highest number since current records began in 2020. The figures have renewed concern about harassment in schools and the influence of misogynistic material online.
The suspensions were up 12 per cent from 6,479 the previous year, even as suspensions for other reasons fell. Twenty children aged five or under were suspended, including 19 in reception; primary schools recorded 759 suspensions, and 143 pupils were permanently excluded. Pupils aged 13 and 14 accounted for 1,564 suspensions between them. The Government says it will teach healthy relationships and consent and use the Online Safety Act to address harmful content.
In short
- England recorded 7,278 sexual misconduct suspensions in 2024/25.
- The total rose 12 per cent year on year.
- Twenty suspended children were aged five or under.
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The case for
The rise in suspensions may signal that schools are identifying and responding to sexual harassment more consistently, including behaviour that can harm pupils’ safety and dignity. Supporters of firm action argue that clear consequences, alongside teaching about consent and healthy relationships, help protect pupils and set boundaries early.
The case against
Suspension figures alone do not show whether misconduct itself has increased: they may also reflect changes in reporting, definitions or school responses. Critics may argue that exclusion, especially of very young children, risks disrupting education without addressing the causes, and that schools need proportionate measures and support as well as consequences.
Explained simply
Schools in England can suspend pupils for sexual misconduct, and permanently exclude them in more serious cases. The latest figures cover the school year 2024/25 and are part of records kept since 2020.
The figures span primary and secondary schools, with pupils of different ages involved. They sit within wider discussion about harassment at school and whether material pupils encounter online affects their behaviour.
The Government says schools will teach healthy relationships and consent, and that the Online Safety Act will be used to address harmful content. The issue matters to pupils, families and schools because it concerns safety and how schools respond to misconduct.