An average of 118 children were suspended from Waltham Forest schools every month last year for offences including sexual misconduct, violence against adults and drug and alcohol offences

A Freedom of Information Act disclosure has revealed children as young as four have been temporarily excluded from schools across the borough.

In the school year 2013/14, a total of 1,422 children were excluded for a fixed term.

This number was 1,429 in the previous academic year.

The majority of expulsions were from secondary schools, with 346 teenagers from Year 10 and 208 from Year 11 affected.

In primary schools, a total of 146 children were excluded.

Four students was also excluded from reception classes.

In 2013/14, 48 children were removed from school for incidents involving drugs and alcohol, ten more than in the previous year.

A total of 29 were excluded for what was categorised as ‘sexual misconduct’.

The figures reveal 338 children were banned from school for assault on a pupil and 99 for assault on an adult.

A further 285 were excluded for general bad behaviour and 239 placed under the 'other' category.

A total of seven children were excluded for racial abuse and 151 for verbal abuse of an adult.

The council said there were no permanent exclusions from state schools in 2012/13.

The council’s cabinet member for children and young people has been asked to comment.