Children as young as five are being suspended from schools in England for sexual misconduct, Department for Education figures show. In total, sexual misconduct was cited as a reason for 7,278 suspensions in the 2024/25 school year, equating to almost 40 every school day.
This represents a 12% rise on the previous year and is the highest total since the current recording method began in 2020. Shockingly, 20 of these suspensions involved children who were aged five or under, including 19 in reception.
Campaigners call for action
Christopher McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, told the Daily Mail: 'These shocking figures represent only the tip of the iceberg of misogyny in schools. Most cases go unreported.
'Schools are no longer safe places for girls and for female teachers. The Government needs to greatly expand the option of single-sex schooling rather than allowing it to largely disappear.'
Breakdown of suspensions
Suspensions for sexual misconduct include incidents like sexual assaults, abuse, harassment and lewd behaviour. They can be aimed at classmates or staff.
Primary schools recorded 759 suspensions and five permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct over the period. Secondary school pupils aged 13 and 14 were the most frequent offenders, with 1,564 suspensions in this age group.
Overall, sexual misconduct was recorded as a reason for 143 permanent exclusions. School can attach up to three reasons to a suspension and exclusion.
Context and response
The rise in suspensions involving sexual misconduct came despite the overall number of suspensions falling. In a report, Ofsted found that sexual harassment had become normalised among schoolchildren.
Teachers have previously warned that misogynist online influencers such as Andrew Tate are shaping how boys treat girls in class.
Soma Sara, chief executive of the Everyone's Invited charity, said: 'We hope that schools are now more conscious of the reality of sexual harassment and abuse among children and young people, and are better equipped to identify it and intervene when it happens.
'For too long, the harm children were experiencing was not always being recognised or understood by the adults around them.'
A government spokesman said: 'As part of our strategy to halve violence against women and girls, we have pledged to make sure all young people are taught about healthy relationships and consent from an early age.
'We have also forced tech companies to tackle harmful content and protect young people online through the Online Safety Act.'
Metro has contacted the Department for Education for comment.
