SCHOOL exclusions are on the rise across the majority of East Lancashire, new figures reveal.

The figures, published by Lancashire County Council, show that Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley have seen the biggest rises, while Blackburn with Darwen and Chorley have bucked the trend.

Hyndburn and Ribble Valley areas have had the biggest rise in permanent secondary school exclusions of 162.5 per cent as it went from 16 in 2014 to 42 cases in 2017.

They also rank as second worst in East Lancashire in primary school education with a rise from six exclusions in 2014 to eight in 2017 (33.3 per cent).

Burnley had the biggest rise in the primary school category with a 66 per cent rise from six in 2014 to 10 in 2017.

The area was third in secondary education for the biggest rise with 66.5 per cent (from 18 - 2014 to 30 in 2017), behind Pendle where the figure rose for 14 to 24 in the same period (71.4 per cent).

Rossendale had among the lowest percentage increases with 20 per cent (from one case to three) in primary schools while 12.5 per cent (16 to 18) in high schools.

In the report it claims that there are a number of factors in the growing number of exclusions including pressures on school funding impacting on school’s capability to fund support staff and additional resources and also an increase in young people experiencing negative impacts on life and behaviour.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans said: “This is a huge jump and there needs to be total transparency as to each and every case and if they have excluded for legitimate reasons but also if they have been excluded then education still has to be provided.

“The claim that changes to attainment and pupils who struggle to meet the expectations for school results and that as a category is not good enough.

“Some people need extra support rather just excluded, they need to be given the hand up and support.”

Elsewhere, in Blackburn with Darwen, there were three permanent exclusions in primary schools in 2017 and two in secondary.

According to statistics, in 2014/15 there was one exclusion in primary and secondary education and the following academic year there were only three in secondary education.

Graham Jones, MP for Hyndburn, said: “School exclusions are always difficult but we have to support head teachers. Disruptive pupils disrupt all the other pupils in the class and that is really unfair. What is important is the role of parents and that those excluded children are supported back into education as soon as possible.”

Simon Jones, national executive member for the National Education Union said: “These results are hardly surprising but given the budget cuts schools and local authorities have faced.”

“Children who need extra support just aren’t getting the attention they need and this, coupled with bigger class sizes, the loss off creative subjects and the change is exam regimes can all be factors.

“I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’, but it was something that could be seen coming.”