438,265
in 2018/2019
this is how many fixed term exclusions were given to young people in england

1. In the next five years- bring about an end to the persistent race-disparities in school exclusions 2. Over the next ten years- affect change at legal, policy, practice and cultural level in education and society as a whole. School exclusions are a form of drastic disciplinary action that remove children from the classroom and, too often, from education altogether. The most serious of these disciplinary measures turf young people out of their school communities and stigmatise them, just as they are building their identities. Others penalise and often humiliate children and young people for the difficulties they face, magnifying inequalities rather than trying to alleviate them, and treating already marginalised young people as disposable. NME has a racial justice focus. We are working to prevent the escalating number of school exclusions across the country, especially the scandal of the historically disproportionally-high rate of excluded Black Caribbean and Mixed: White/Black Caribbean children (The Centre for Research in Race and Education 2018).

What about the other 29? and other FAQs

No More Exclusions (NME) is a Black-led anti-racist organisation working to build an abolitionist grassroots movement in education. Our coalition includes young people, parents, parent advocates, teachers, teaching assistants, trade unionists, social workers, lawyers, youth workers, faith leaders, local councillors, journalists, academics, education researchers, SEND specialists, psychologists and mental health practitioners. We believe that school exclusions form part of a continuum of state violence enacted against communities racialised as Black, brown, Muslim and Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, against disabled people and against working-class communities. We support all those struggling to abolish exclusions and transform education into a nurturing and enriching experience for all children and young people. We work to democratise knowledge, build community power and effect change from the bottom up. We work in coalition and solidarity with many sister collectives and individuals who share our values and vision for liberation and social justice in education and beyond.

NME is a Black-led, Black Feminist, Abolitionist, grassroots coalition movement 1. We want the abolition of all forms of exclusion in all schools. The abolition of ‘Pupil Referral Units’ ‘Alternative Provision’, ‘special schools’, ‘secure schools’ and all forms of segregated education. 2. We oppose Patriarchy, Capitalism, white supremacy, Transphobia, Homophobia, Afriphobia, Ableism, Islamophobia and all other forms of oppression. 3. We believe in a shared collective vision for education. 4. We are building strong community leaders who are accountable to elders and youth over any political party. 5. We recognise the Anti-Black foundations of “Great” Britain and its education system. 6. We are internationalists and a Black Feminist coalition building in solidarity across our struggles and our differences. Our anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist struggle is rooted in Intersectionality, anti-oppression, internationalism and liberation theory and praxis. 7. We are radical activists, organisers, students, teachers, informal educators, scholars who are fighting for structural change in education. 8. We recognise that through our personal and collective knowledge we build a critical consciousness which helps to realise our capacity to change circumstances for ourselves. 9. We want true education of our diverse African, Asian and colonial and pre-colonial histories. 10. Our work is rooted in healing from violence and harm using transformative justice principles.

No More Exclusions is organised around the following 5 core strands: Law and Policy Change Youth Development and Youth Voice Parental Advocacy and Partnerships Teacher Education Curriculum