Concerns have been raised that the sheer amount of school exclusions and suspensions in Reading could be putting children at risk.
Reading Borough councillors have received an annual report into exclusions and suspensions of pupils attending schools in the town.
In the last academic year, 14 children were permanently excluded from schools in Reading, with the figure covering the academic year from September 2023 to July 2024.
As well as that, there were thousands of temporary suspensions over a one-year period, leading to thousands of hours of teaching being lost.
READ MORE: Figures of number of children excluded from schools in Reading revealed
In the year to date, a total of 5020.5 days of secondary school teaching was lost, and 666 days of teaching were lost for primary school pupils.
The figures were presented to the council's adult social care, children's services and education (ACE) committee by Brian Grady, the director of education for Reading, who was appointed by children's services company Brighter Futures for Children.
The amount of hours lost has led to concerns for the safety of children, with councillors theorising that behavioural difficulties at school could be related to vulnerabilities and trauma.
Councillor Louise Keane (Green, Katesgrove) said: "When talking about the vulnerabilities, sometimes these behavioural issues can be concerned with exploitation, sexual exploitation, grooming and being drawn into drug gangs, county lines and all that.
"Where are schools fitting in with the safeguarding policy of actually raising concerns, so if this child is behaving in this way, it's going back to exploring with them is something happening beyond that?
"Are we missing very some serious things that could be happening to those young people?"
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Mr Grady said: "Certainly patterns of suspension and persistent absence and attendance issues are key indicators of vulnerability and risk of exploitation.
"Schools are absolutely engaged in safeguarding what we need to be doing, and how a key priority is to make sure that children being in school, and focusing on those children who aren't in school so we can have a multi-disciplinary approach will absolutely be something you will see.
"What we do know and what our schools know is that as soon as you [a child] are not in school, risks increase."
Cllr Alice Mpofu-Coles (Labour, Whitley) chair of the ACE committee, proposed setting up a working group to devise a sustainable action plan to tackle pupil absences and inequalities experienced by suspended and excluded children.
Councillors agreed to note the figures and set up a task and finish group to work to keep children school at the ACE meeting on Wednesday, January 15.
Pupils and students who are excluded are typically provided alternative education provision, dubbed 'AltProv' which is arranged by the school or children's services.
Parents and guardians also have the freedom to home school their children.
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