Revealed: Suspension numbers for state’s 100 biggest schools

Some of Queensland’s biggest schools each handed out hundreds of suspensions to students last year – but some are bucking the trend. SEE THE NUMBERS

One of Logan’s largest and most popular state high schools kicked out more than 50 students last year and suspended hundreds more, The Courier-Mail can reveal.

Marsden State High School dished out a total of 653 student disciplinary absences last year, including 40 exclusions and 16 cancellations.

Among those suspensions were 568 short suspensions – of between one and 10 days – and a further 30 long suspensions of up to 20 days.

Enrolment cancellations are rare, and only occur in serious disciplinary instances for students who are older than compulsory school age.

But Marsden’s student disciplinary absences are significantly down on previous years.

In 2015 they reached more than 880, with the school’s population surging more than 50 per cent since then.

But the school’s suspension rate remained more than six times that of Queensland’s biggest state high school, Brisbane State High – which handed out 98 suspensions for the year – almost three times the amount of the Gold Coast’s Varsity College (174) and Brisbane’s Mansfield State High School (222).

Marsden State High School executive principal Andrew Peach

Brisbane’s Kelvin Grove State College – the state’s largest school with more than 3500 students in 2020 from Prep to Year 12 – handed out 95 suspensions and one exclusion last year.

Marsden State High School executive principal Andrew Peach has been lauded for turning the school’s academic performance and culture around since he started in late 2014.

Mr Peach was named the top public school principal at last year’s Australian Education Awards, with the school named government secondary school of the year.

Meanwhile, Ipswich State High School, which has about 1000 fewer students than Marsden with an enrolment of about 1960 last year, handed out the most student disciplinary absences in total among Queensland’s largest public schools.

Ipswich recorded 864 student disciplinary absences last year, including 26 exclusions and six cancellations.

Also in Ipswich, Bellbird Park State Secondary College, with about 1400 students in 2020, recorded 684 student disciplinary absences.

State schools must publish their student disciplinary absence figures each year in their school annual reports.

Queensland Teachers’ Union vice president Leah Olsson said “schools do not suspend or exclude students lightly”.

“Our teachers, school leaders and students deserve to teach and learn in a safe, productive, and healthy working environment,” she said.

“The QTU supports members in ensuring that the consequences for violent and disruptive behaviour enables this.

“Processes are put in place by the school prior to escalating a SDA.

“Schools have developed their Student Code of Conduct in consultation with parents and their school community and should be supported by the department, when implementing decisions relating to SDAs.”

The Department of Education did not answer questions in relation to specific schools, but did say “principals are responsible for the development and implementation of a Student Code of Conduct in each school”.

“School disciplinary absences are used as a last resort option by principals, after considering individual circumstances, the actions of the student and the needs and rights of other school community members,” a spokesman said.

“Factors that influence year-to-year movements in SDA numbers include changes in school management, implementation of alternative behaviour strategies, changes in behaviour expectations, fluctuations in enrolments and changed student behaviour.”