However, the rate of exclusion among the Roma community is at a massive 0.56%, and for Irish Travellers, the figure stands at 0.53%. Black Caribbean pupils are three times more likely to be permanently excluded or suspended. Children from Traveller communities are also three times more likely to be suspended for a fixed period of time.

Phil Regan, partnership officer for the Irish Traveller Movement in Britain, suggests that the problem is partly the exclusion of Traveller culture from the school curriculum: "For example, when the concept of the home is looked at in Key Stage 1, this does not include mobile homes."

And, as always, racism is a problem: "Young people from these communities experience discrimination from other pupils and react, which can lead to exclusion. There needs to be more celebration and awareness of Traveller culture."

Gerry German, director of the Communities Empowerment Network, adds: "A lot of the ways discipline is dealt with in schools need to be addressed. This often involves taking pupils out of class, into special units. All this does is heighten any feelings of isolation and discrimination they may already have."