Swindon Academy suspended 85 students between 2010 and 2011 for misdemeanours including fighting, racism and bringing weapons on to its premises.

Fixed-term exclusions for disruptive behaviour were given to 30 students, with persistent poor behaviour leading to another 15 being told to stay at home.

Defiance led to 11 students being suspended, 10 were suspended for fighting, eight for verbal abuse, three for possession of a weapon and three for racism.

Bullying, theft and truancy accounted for two each of the exclusions, according to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

A spokesman for the Academy said: “In the first spring term this year, there were only seven fixed-term exclusions, which is significantly lower than previous years.

“The decrease in exclusions is down to a core focus on improving behaviour, attendance and punctuality.

“The senior leadership team is committed to making Swindon Academy a happy and thriving school where students enjoy learning and teachers enjoy teaching.”

The Academy, which is based at two sites in Beech Avenue and Alton Close, declined to release details of permanent exclusions.

The spokesman said: “Given the small number of exclusions, it would be possible to identify individual students from this data and so it would not be appropriate for us to release it.”

The Adver has previously covered exclusion rates at other schools in Swindon but the Academy had been missed out because its figures are not collected by Swindon Council.

The report in February showed hundreds of schoolchildren were being suspended or expelled for violent attacks on adults and other pupils.

Misdemeanours over the past three academic years included assaults, along with bullying, alcohol, sexual misconduct, drugs, theft and racism.

Children at infant schools were responsible for the bad behaviour along with pupils of junior and secondary age.

In total, headteachers suspended 45 pupils for physical attacks on adults last year and 229 for violence aimed at their peers.

But only five children were excluded for assaults, according to information held by the council which was also released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Schools also suspended 12 pupils for racism, 17 for sexual misconduct, 14 for alcohol, 24 for drugs and 28 for theft.

Another 17 were sent home for bullying.