MORE than one in 20 high school pupils in Renfrewshire were suspended from classes during the 2018/19 academic year, latest figures show.

There were a total of 648 youngsters sent home across all schools in the area – up from the previous year but down substantially over the past decade.

A total of 87 primary pupils were excluded from lessons, with a further 553 at secondary schools. There were also eight youngsters excluded at special schools.

At a rate of 56 exclusions per 1,000 secondary pupils, Renfrewshire ranks third highest in Scotland.

The area’s overall rate is brought down by the low statistics for primary schools.

Aberdeen City has the highest ratio of exclusions at almost one in 10 secondary pupils.

Across Scotland, the proportion of the poorest pupils being suspended from school has dropped by 60 per cent over a decade.

The total number of exclusions from schools has fallen from 39,717 in 2007/08 to 14,990 in 2018/19.

Renfrewshire Council had 2,095 exclusions in 2009/10, falling to 410 in 2014/15 before rising again year on year.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “We are committed to ensuring that every young person has the best possible start in life and all our schools operate a welcoming and inclusive ethos which makes young people feel valued and eager to learn.

“We work hard to support our pupils whenever they have any issues and try to identify the causes of poor behaviour, without immediate punishment.

“It is extremely rare that we would exclude any pupil and this would normally only take place while we discuss the most appropriate arrangements to support their return.

“We take our duty to provide all children and young people in Renfrewshire with an education seriously and will continue to promote good behaviour and ensure school is a safe, welcoming environment for our pupils to thrive in.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government welcomed the drop in exclusions amongst the poorest pupils.

He said: “We have been clear that schools and local authorities need to do all they can to ensure all children and young people are included, engaged and involved in their education – and that exclusion should be the last resort.

“These figures show that our preventative approaches are working as part of our wider strategy to close the attainment gap.”