VIOLENT behaviour, drugs and alcohol issues in schools account for nearly a third of school exclusions in Oldham ­— but support put in to help children has led to a fall in the numbers of young people being excluded.

More than 1,600 pupils in state-maintained primary and secondary schools were handed permanent or fixed-period exclusions for assaulting a pupil or adult, or for drug and alcohol issues between 2015/16 and 2017/18.

And the total number of exclusions being handed out by schools in 2017/18 stood at 1,527. This also includes exclusions for other matters including persistent disruptive behaviour.

But Oldham has bucked the national trend, with violence in the classroom falling while nationally it is rising.

Figures from the Department for Education (DfE), and analysed by Newsquest’s Data Investigations Unit, show that number of pupils thrown out for violence against a child has fallen from 311 to 249 between 2016/17 and 2017/18. In the same time period exclusions for violence against an adult fell from 188 to 141.

The numbers of exclusions due to drug and alcohol related issues fell from 146 to 77.

And the total number of exclusions due to physical assault against pupil, adult, and drug and alcohol related fell from 645 to 467 ­— but accounted for 31 per cent of all exclusions.

Cllr Shaid Mushtaq, Oldham Council lead for Education and Skills said: ‘We have a close relationship with our schools and work with them to ensure an inclusive approach to support all our young people. These figures are good news for Oldham as they reflect the inclusive culture of many of our schools in the borough.

“We all recognise it is rarely in the child’s interest to be excluded as this just moves a problem to another school or even worse, to them not attending school. Our aim is that staff with an interest in children and young people work together to try and find solutions which protect the school and support the child or young person.

“At Oldham Council we promote the ‘voice of the child’ and will continue to find new and innovative ways to help all our young community have the best possible start in life to help them to be the best they possibly can.”

Nationally, more than 303,000 children in state-maintained primary and secondary schools in England were handed permanent or fixed-period exclusions for assaulting a pupils or adult, or for drug and alcohol issues, between 2015/16 and 2017/18.

The DfE said the Government backed headteachers to use their powers to issue fixed-period exclusions in response to poor behaviour.

But permanent exclusions should be a last resort, the department added.

Where pupils are excluded, the DfE said the “quality of education they receive should be no different than mainstream settings”.

A spokesman added: “The Government supports headteachers in using exclusion as a sanction where warranted.

“Permanent exclusion remains a rare event.”