SCHOOLS in Swindon could be failing their autistic students, a charity has warned.

Autism charity Ambitious About Autism has raised concerns over the rise in the number of autistic pupils who have been expelled from the town’s schools.

Data from the Department for Education revealed that 25 children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder as their primary special educational need were excluded from primary, secondary and special schools in Swindon during the 2015/2016 academic year which is up from eight in 2011/2012.

Jolanta Lasota, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Schools are shutting out thousands of children with autism.

“The impact of these exclusions cannot be underestimated.

“Not only do children fall behind academically, but the isolation from their peers creates deep unhappiness, social anxiety and mental health problems.”

It's unlawful in England for schools to exclude pupils on the basis that they have additional needs that schools are unable to meet.

While Swindon’s schools have seen an increase in the population of autistic pupils since 2011, the charity argued that the figures cannot be explained by this fact alone, as the rate at which exclusions have increased outstripped the increase in autistic pupils.

A spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council said: “Both the council and the schools take their responsibilities for children and young people with special educational needs very seriously.

"This is reflected in the high level of provision in Swindon both in special schools and in specialist resource bases within schools, which are designed to educate children with autism in school.

“Children do get excluded from school for a variety of reasons and reducing the number of exclusions has been a focus for debate and change with schools this year.

"There is always room for improvement and in the next academic year senior leaders will be looking at best practice from around the country to reduce exclusions for all pupils.”

Fiona Clark is the headteacher of Uplands School, which specialises in providing education for pupils with autism.

She said: “There are lots of schools in Swindon with extremely good provisions for autistic pupils and they do their best to meet their needs.

“Sometimes, environmentally, these schools can be quite challenging for these pupils.

“Sensory issues are a key part of providing for people with autism and we work hard to maintain the right environment for them."