The Stephenson Studio School in Coalville recorded the highest rate of suspensions in Leicestershire - outside the City of Leicester - during the 2022/23 academic year.

Stephenson - which is no longer operating - taught in small class sizes and had fewer students on its register than many other schools in the area, had a rate of 264.6 suspensions per 100 children.

Some 209 suspensions were handed out over the academic year, research by the Reach Data Unit has revealed. 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service approached the school for a comment, but did not receive a response.

In May, an Ofsted report said that the Stephenson campus had made 'significant progress' in the year since its previous inspection.

There were a record number of suspensions in state-run schools in England.

Across the country, 787,000 suspensions were handed out, up from 578,300 in 2021/22. 

Of all the schools in Leicestershire, including the city, The Winstanley School, in Braunstone Town, had the highest number of suspensions in 2022/23.

Some 492 suspensions were handed out over the academic year – a rate of 79.1 per 100 children.

Headteacher Dave Bennett told the LDRS that this was the result of a "new behaviour system". 

He said: "At the start of the academic year 2022/23 like many schools we faced many challenging behaviours. To improve behaviour we introduced a new behaviour system which led to an increase in suspensions.

"The vast majority of suspensions were very short (half or one day), and the data doesn't show the massive impact on improving behaviour. In September 2023 Ofsted judged The Winstanley school as good in all areas, and our inclusive approach to behaviour was highlighted as a real strength.

"A variety of external reviewers have confirmed this over the academic year 2023/24 and recently a number of schools have come to visit The Winstanley School to see our good practice in action."

The Leicester school with the highest number of suspensions issued was Orchard Mead Academy, in Keyham Lane West, in the city's Humberstone and Hamilton ward. The school also came in second highest for this punishment of all the city and county schools.

Children were removed from class using this punishment on 453 occasions, a rate of 40.4 per 100 pupils. The LDRS approached the Mead Academy Trust, which runs the school, for a comment, but did not receive a response.

There were 146 schools across the city and county which did not hand out any suspensions in 2022/23. They were all either primary schools or specialist schools.