Gang crime linked to school exclusions

A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime has revealed a "disturbing correlation" between children excluded from school and those exploited by violent gangs.

Analysis found that in 2018-19 there were 7,900 permanent school exclusions in England - a 70% increase in the number since 2012-13, adding that alongside this more than 17,500 boys aged 14 in England and Wales carry a knife or weapon and a third of those have had weapons used against them.

The report calls on ministers to review the system so that all excluded children have access to the full-time education they are legally entitled to, and urges mainstream schools to be more accountable for the children they exclude.