Primary pupils excluded

SEVEN children under six years old were excluded from Oldham’s primary schools last year.

The figure was revealed after the Tories revealed 4,139 children aged from three to five were banned from the classroom in England in 2007-8.

Offences included attacking classmates and teachers, verbal abuse, vandalism, persistent disruption and even sexual misconduct.

The figures include fixed-term and permanent exclusions.

Oldham had 8,396 pupils aged under six in nursery and reception classes last year.

A spokesman for the local authority said that the numbers could not be broken down further, and reasons for exclusion given, for fear of potentially identifying individual pupils.