A SCHOOL suspended more than a quarter of its pupils in the last academic year, new figures show.

Eastbourne School in Darlington suspended 205 pupils during 2005-06 - 28 per cent of its 743 total.

In all, there were 557 temporary exclusions at Eastbourne, as some pupils were suspended more than once.

The news comes two days after The Northern Echo revealed that the Darlington Education Village had made 190 temporary exclusions since September.

A spokeswoman for Eastbourne accepted its exclusion rates were high, but insisted they were falling.

"A behavioural plan has been put in place to address the level of exclusions," she said.

"Already, the number has fallen this term. Exclusion rates will now be published on a termly, rather than yearly, basis, which will help us monitor the situation."

The total number of days lost through temporary exclusions at Eastbourne was 2,620, giving an average suspension length of just under five days. The school permanently excluded a further 18 pupils in 2005-06.

In 2004-05, there were 247 temporary exclusions at Eastbourne, involving 139 pupils, and 15 permanent exclusions.

Eastbourne has been in and out of special measures and has had six headteachers since 2002.

A plan to merge Eastbourne with Hurworth School was abandoned in March, and in August, only 19 per cent of Eastbourne's pupils received five A* to C GCSEs.

Two months later, it was announced the Government had approved plans to transform Eastbourne into an academy, sponsored by the Church of England.

Councillor Veronica Copeland, who is an Eastbourne School governor, said the school had been through an unsettled time.

"The school had a very, very difficult two years and I think that is partly reflected in the exclusion rates," she said.

"Everything was very unsettled and that translated down through staff to the pupils. However, the new headmaster is getting on top of the issues and is making a big difference.

"We don't want to see a repeat of these figures."

Across Darlington, 643 pupils were suspended during 2005-06. Hurworth suspended 94 pupils, Longfield 87, Hummersknott and Haugh-ton 84 each, Branksome 73, and Carmel 16.

Hummersknott and Longfield each permanently excluded seven pupils, Hurworth six, Haughton three, and Branksome two. Only Carmel did not exclude any pupils.

In total, there were ten more permanent exclusions in 2005-2006 than in 2004-05