This new report published by the Education Policy Institute, commissioned by youth education charity Impetus, has identified a ‘suspension employment gap’ with young people who are suspended at secondary school experiencing a range of poorer outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood.
The new research builds on a previous report published in March by the EPI and Impetus, which found a ‘suspension grades gap’, showing young people experiencing suspension are less likely to pass crucial Maths and English GCSEs than their peers.
Today’s research includes a new analysis of state welfare use by young people who have experienced suspension, exploring the receipt of out-of-work benefits and health-related benefits by age 24, using new data linking pupils’ education and state-welfare records.
The report finds that:
- Outcomes in early adulthood for pupils who are during secondary school suspended are poor, compared to pupils who are not suspended.
- Pupils with multiple suspensions have poorer outcomes in early adulthood and multiple suspensions tend to be cumulatively associated with poor early adult outcomes.
- Pupils suspended ten or more times appear to have just as poor, if not poorer, outcomes compared to those who experience permanent exclusion.
The report makes the following policy recommendations:
- Given the long-term consequences for the individual and the wider costs to society of suspension during secondary school, there is an urgent need for early intervention to address the factors leading to suspension. The Department for Education (DfE) should consider conducting a programme of work which sets out how to best respond to behaviour that reflects the evidence on in-school and out-of-school drivers.
- The DfE should develop the evidence base on what works to support pupils who experience multiple suspensions.
- Future research should continue to better understand the causes of suspensions and permanent exclusions.
- Future research should also aim to understand outcomes for the peers of pupils who are suspended.
- Future research should also explore protective factors that enable some suspended pupils to succeed in later life.
You can download and read the report in full here.
This report has been commissioned by Impetus. Website: https://www.impetus.org.uk/
About Impetus
Impetus transforms the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, by ensuring they get the right support to succeed in school, work and life. We find, fund and build the most promising charities working with these young people, providing core funding and working shoulder-to-shoulder with their leaders to help them become stronger organisations. In partnership with other funders we help our charities expand, and we work to influence policy and decision makers so that young people get the support they need.
