Full Breakdown
Surge in Suspensions for Homophobic, Transphobic and Racist Abuse
5/30/2026, 8:46:39 PM
Funding Cuts and Controversial RSHE Guidance
The Anti-Bullying Alliance says cuts to anti-bullying funding have caused a “real reduction in schools’ ability to undertake anti-bullying training”. At the same time, the DfE’s new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance, due in September, frames trans identities as a “significant debate”. The guidance instructs staff to be “careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact” and to avoid stating that “all people have a gender identity”. Critics compare it to the former Section 28 law that barred discussion of homosexuality.
Official Responses and Criticism
The DfE called the suspension figures “shocking” and said it is providing expert support while developing a national anti-bullying strategy. ABA director Martha Boateng warned that funding cuts have weakened schools’ capacity for anti-bullying work. Just Like Us chief executive Laura Mackay called the data “the tip of the iceberg” and noted the lack of statistics on bullying that does not lead to suspension. She also said the draft Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance could further marginalise trans pupils, a concern echoed by critics who label the RSHE policy “Section 28 2.0”.
Data Gaps and Reporting Limits
DfE data only record incidents that result in suspension or exclusion, so the scale of unrecorded bullying is unknown. The 2024-25 summer-term figures are not yet published, and there are no baseline numbers for bullying that does not lead to suspension.
Verbatim Quotes
- “real reduction in schools’ ability to undertake anti-bullying training” — Martha Boateng, Director, Anti-Bullying Alliance
- “There is no government data to tell us about incidences of anti-LGBT+ bullying where there are no resulting suspensions or exclusions, leaving us in the dark to the real scale of the problem,” — Laura Mackay, Chief Executive, Just Like Us
- “horrifying but not surprising” — Mother of an autistic student (name not disclosed)
- “careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact” — Department for Education RSHE guidance
Outlook
The RSHE guidance will be applied from the 2026-27 school year, shaping how trans topics are taught. Advocacy groups continue to call for sustained funding for anti-bullying programmes and a comprehensive national strategy to address prejudice across all protected characteristics.
