The number of children permanently excluded from secondary school increased by 51 per cent in the first three months of the year.

Latest BCP Council figures show there were 62 exclusions from January to March.

This equated to 0.32 per cent of the conurbation’s overall secondary school population and is above the target of 0.18 per cent.

The excluded pupil total was up from 41 in the previous quarter.

A report to BCP Council’s children’s services overview and scrutiny committee said schools had stated they were struggling to access good quality alternative provision to support young people at risk of permanent exclusion.

The time being taken to agree education and health care plans (EHCPs), increased complexity of cases and a perceived lack of easily accessible support services to address pupil behaviour and issues within the family and community.

An exception performance report providing the council’s explanation for missing the target outlined the actions being taken to improve.

The document said educational psychologists and members of the special educational needs and disabilities and inclusion teams will work with schools to ensure early identification of need, especially for pupils social, emotional and mental health needs.

BCP Council was also off target for the number of children in care not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The quarterly target is 12 per cent and in the first three months of 2023 it stood at 29 per cent.

Reasons given in the exception report were listed as: “The increase in the number of unaccompanied asylum seeker children (UASC) has impacted upon our NEET figures when the young people come into BCP in the middle of an academic year.

“The care placements for some UASC have needed to move to out of BCP which has led to some young people who were on roll at Bournemouth and Poole College coming off roll due to the distance they have moved or refusing to attend due to the distance.

“55.6 per cent of our young people in year 12 and 13 that are in care and are NEET are unaccompanied asylum seeking children.”