THE amount of pupils being permanently excluded from Darlingtons schools has risen.

The latest figures show 32 pupils were expelled during 2008/09, compared to 21 last year.

But rates are still well below the high of 47 set in 2006/07, when the town was had the worst exclusion rate in the country.

This year there were 734 fixed-term exclusions, compared to 875 last year and 1,637 in 2006/07.

Contributing significantly to that fall was St Aiden's CofE Academy, formerly Eastbourne Academy, which reported a 71 per cent decrease in the amount of pupils it has excluded on a non-permanent basis, to 82 from 283 last year.

Academy principal Alison Appleyard said the reduction was due to a number of measures taken over the past year. She said pupils were benefiting from a more flexible curriculum which allowed more scope for vocational work.

Work is also being done to encourage hobbies among pupils in their free time.

And the school has recently introduced family tutor groups, made up of children of all ages, with two members of staff to oversee them.

It is hoped the older children will prove to be positive role models for the younger group members.

Ms Appleyard said she was delighted with the progress made so far.

She added: "This is what we are all about - we are here for the children, we want them to learn. That's why we got into teaching.

"To see the children engaging more in their studies is extremely satisfying. We haven't got it just right yet, but we are determined to get to there, the students deserve it.

"You will never stop children being naughty altogether. Children are children and they are testing boundaries, but we will reduce things even further, for sure."

Darlington Council's Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Councillor Jenny Chapman, said: "We have dramatically improved our record on exclusions and it is great to see that the partnership work of our schools and behaviour team is paying off. Good Behaviour in schools is essential for learning and children need to feel safe and happy in schools to learn well. "We are very pleased that all the measures we are putting in place are having a positive effect. The improved GCSE results go hand in hand with improving behaviour."