Thousands of suspensions a year are linked to racist, homophobic and disablist abuse at English state schools. These categories featured 70,000 times among reasons for suspension recorded in government data between September 2020 and April 2025. Kirsten Coutts' son Sam was 18 when he took his own life after the effect of bullying made him feel like he wasn't welcome in society. There are calls for a national anti-bullying strategy, as the Department for Education described the figures as "shocking" and said it was providing expert support. Tap the link in @BBCNews's bio to read more about what is being done to tackle the issues. #Bullying #Education #BBCNews