Getting suspended from school would put the fear of life into most pupils.

It is an extreme measure aimed at only the most disruptive of classroom louts. In Oxfordshire, suspensions were handed out 3,471 times in the last academic year.

Worryingly, 1,049 times it was the punishment for verbally abusing and threatening staff members.

There were even 555 pupils sent home for physically assaulting people working in schools.

The number of suspensions fluctuates at certain schools and you can check our list on page two.

Heads tell us today that either way it reflects getting tough on discipline.

More suspensions, send a message. Fewer suspensions, a tougher line is working. The Government wants to encourage a reduction in the number of youngsters sent home. But what are headteachers to do? Staff deserve to be protected and classes should go on without interruption.

What is clear, is a large number of suspensions are down to a handful of pupils. It is a last resort for teachers pulling their hair out at teenagers who can cause havoc in class.

A clampdown on discipline is supported by the Oxford Mail.

Didcot’s St Birinus School posted an increase in suspensions last year.

Is it a coincidence that it is also the county’s most improved when it comes to GCSE? We think not.