Four-year-olds suspended from Wrexham schools

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, Children as young as four were suspended from school

Twelve children aged four have been suspended from primary schools in Wrexham since the summer of 2017.

Data released by Wrexham council found a total of 168 primary age pupils in the county had been given fixed term exclusions since the summer term in 2017.

A quarter of the number of children suspended - 42 - were 10 year olds.

Wrexham council said teachers were witnessing an increase in children with difficult behavioural issues.

The local authority, which released the figures following a Freedom of Information request, has pledged to clamp down on the number of fixed-term exclusions.

Chief education officer Ian Roberts told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Children and young people are increasingly presenting with complex behaviours due to a range of factors.

"Whereas there has been an increase in fixed-term exclusions, this is not particular to Wrexham with similar trends across a number聽of local authorities.

"Each school has its own behaviour policy which it will implement through a graduated response process with exclusion never taken lightly and in most cases the last resort.

"The authority recognises a need to reduce exclusions with this being a current priority as detailed in the council plan."

A report published by the authority earlier this year, showed children across all age groups were banned from class for a total of 3,162 days during the 2017-18 school year.