THE number of schoolchildren being suspended from Bury schools for bad behaviour has increased — with a record number of exclusions for drugs and alcohol.

Figures released by the department for education show that 70 fixed period exclusion s were issued in state funded primary, secondary and special schools in the borough for drugs and alcohol related incidents during the last academic year compared to 47 in the school year 2013/2014

Racist abuse in the classroom was also up from eight suspension notices to 10 in one year.

Numbers of suspension notices issued for persistent disruptive behaviour was up from 148 to 260 in the same period.

Rises were also seen for physical assault against a child, with suspension rates increasing from 141 to 210; verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult was up from 169 to 200; incidents of children suspended for sexual misconduct was up from eight to 10 and theft was up from 14 to 20.

Verbal abuse and threatening behaviour against a pupil increased from 31 to 40.

But the numbers of fixed period exclusions were down for physical assault against an adult from 34 to 30; bullying from 22 to 10 and damage from 21 to 20.

Karen Hopwood, Bury-branch secretary of the NASUWT — The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers — said: "School do no suspend children lightly, they do everything they can to avoid it.

"There is only so much that can be accepted."

Speaking about the increase in drugs and alcohol figures, Ms Hopwood said support services and positive activities for children had been cut.

She said: "Children start feeling stress and pressure at a young age with SATs exams, there are children in year six which think they are failing."

Ms Hopwood said: "The standard of teaching in Bury is second to none but in terms of funding it is next to the bottom of the league.

"The people in children services in Bury work so hard with the schools and the success is because we are a family of schools, which are being broken up by forced academies."