About this report

The Suspension report provides a high-level view of a school’s suspension data.

Executive Directors and Directors Educational Leadership can view all schools within their Network.

How will this report benefit me?

The Suspension report provides school leaders with an overview of suspension data for their school and supports them to make decisions about wellbeing and support informed by the characteristics of students suspended.

The Suspension report supports the collection of accurate and complete suspension data in a school. This data is collected and reported on publicly twice per year.

The data in these reports are consistent with the department’s Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures and the previous Student Discipline in Government Schools Policy and Suspension and Expulsion Procedures.

Changes to the Suspension report

From the beginning of Term 4, 2022 new Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures came into effect, which replaced the previous Student Discipline in Government Schools Policy and Suspension and Expulsion Procedures. This includes changes to the grounds of suspension, suspension durations, and the introduction of recording formal warnings and DEL approvals on suspension extensions, exceeding the maximum number of suspensions in a calendar year, and exceeding the maximum number of days a student can be suspended in a calendar year.

As the new grounds for suspension are vastly different to the previous reasons for suspension, the Suspension is now split into two:

• Student Behaviour Policy – new suspension report starting from Term 4, 2022
• Student Discipline Policy – historical suspension report prior to Term 4, 2022

Student Behaviour Policy commencing Term 4 2022

Under the Student Behaviour Policy and Procedures, there are two grounds for suspension. They are:

• Actual Harm
  
• Unacceptable risk to health and safety, learning and/or wellbeing

As a data capture mechanism for reporting purposes, these two grounds can be further broken down by descriptors. There are:

• Aggressive behaviour
• Physical violence
• Use or possession of a prohibited weapon, firearm or knife
• Assault
• Use of an implement as a weapon
• Possession, supply or use of a suspected drug or illegal substance
• Serious criminal behaviour related to the school
• Serious behaviours of concern - pending expulsion decision
• Bullying
• Psychological abuse
• Other - continuing, persistent behaviour posing unacceptable risk to another person's health and safety, learning and/or wellbeing
• Other - destruction of property that poses unacceptable risk to health and safety
• Cyber-bullying
• Verbal abuse
• Racism or discrimination
• Misuse of technology

The suspension duration is as follows:

• For students in K-2, a suspension duration is up to 5 school days
• For students in 3-12, a suspension duration is up to 10 school days

Note:

• If the school requires more time to put in place appropriate health and safety supports, an initial extension of up to 5 school days can be sought in consultation with the DEL. Every extension beyond the first extension, requires DEL approval each time.
• The maximum number of suspensions for any student in a calendar year is three. After this, DEL approval is needed for each new suspension.
  
• The maximum number of days a student can be suspended in a calendar year is:
  
  • For students in K-2, 30 days
  • For students in 3-12, 45 days
  • After this time, DEL approval is needed to go beyond this cap.

Historical data for the previous Student Discipline in Government Schools policy which ceased at the end of Term 3 2022.

There are two types of suspension:

• Short suspensions may be up to and including 4 school days and may be imposed for the following reasons:
  • Continued disobedience
  • Aggressive behaviour (including bullying and online bullying)
• Long suspensions may be up to and including 20 school days and may be imposed for the following reasons:
  • Physical violence resulting in injury
  • Possession of prohibited weapon, firearm or knife
  • Possession of illegal substances
  • Serious criminal behaviour
  • Use of an implement as a weapon
  • Persistent or serious misbehaviour (including threats and bullying)

What does the Suspension report provide?

Each page of this report enables users to filter for:

• Executive Director Group
• Network Name
• School Name
• Calendar Years (2013-2018)
• Reason Category Name: Short or Long
• Reason Name
• Scholastic Year

Suspension Overview

This page displays four tables:

• Number of suspensions for each calendar year in each category of suspension.
• Suspensions per enrolled student, shown as a percentage of students per cohort for each calendar year in each category of suspension
• Total suspension days for each calendar year in each category of suspension
• Average suspension length for each calendar year in each category of suspension

Suspension Length Distribution

This page displays one chart:

• Box and whiskers charts for each reason for suspension, including:
  • Minimum and maximum number of days suspended
  • Mean and median of number of days suspended
  • Interquartile range for each reason for suspension

Suspension by Scholastic Year

This page displays four tables:

• Number of suspensions for each calendar year for each scholastic year
• Suspensions per enrolled student, shown as a percentage for each calendar year and scholastic year
• Total suspension days for each calendar year in each scholastic year
• Average suspension length for each calendar year for each scholastic year

These four charts may be filtered for suspension types.

Suspension by Aboriginality

This page displays three tables:

• Number of suspensions for each calendar year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander
• Total suspension days for each calendar year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander
• Average suspension length for each calendar year for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and students who are neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander

These three charts may be filtered for suspension types.

Suspension by Gender

This page displays three tables:

• • Number of suspensions for each calendar year for female and male students
• • Total suspension days for each calendar year for female and male students
• • Average suspension length for each calendar year for female and male students

These three charts may be filtered for suspension types.

Suspension by EAL/D

This page displays three tables:

• Number of suspensions for each calendar year for students according to EAL/D need:
  • o To be assessed
  • o Not required
  • o Beginner
  • o Emerging
  • o Developing
  • o Consolidating
  • o Not specified
• Total suspension days for each calendar year for students according to EAL/D need
• Average suspension length for each calendar year for students according to EAL/D need

These three charts may be filtered for suspension types.

Suspension by Length

This page displays a table and chart:

• Number of Suspensions table shows the number of suspensions for each calendar year for each duration in days
• The chart is a graphical representation of the number of suspensions in days per calendar year

These charts may be filtered for suspension types.

Suspension Across Schools

This page displays one table to be used by Executive Directors and DELs:

• Suspensions per enrolled student for each school in a network or operational directorate.

This chart may be filtered for suspension types.

Please note that all these charts have coloured cells which indicate whether the data shows a positive trend (green), a neutral trend (yellow) or a negative trend (red).

Student Centric Report

This report shows student suspensions across schools, regardless of their current enrolment. The report can be filtered by student to show suspensions and total number of days suspended in a school calendar year.

How can I use the Suspension report to support my school self-assessment?

The report allows users to identify student groups that are being suspended in their school community (e.g. scholastic year, reason name). This supports schools to develop school programs to address the needs of these identified groups.

The report can allow users to identify wellbeing needs for their students and assist in identifying trends and impact of anti-bullying policies and practices.

What should I look for?

The visualisations can answer questions around the wellbeing needs of students in a school.

For example, is the school’s provision for behaviour management and wellbeing support for students sufficient? Could the school employ Community Liaison Officers to assist in communicating with families?

Where does this data come from?

The data comes from the department’s student enrolment and registration system, ERN, and other relevant third party vendor systems.

How frequently is data updated?

Daily (overnight). Any changes made within the data in ERN will be visible in the Suspension report the next day.