Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and East Dulwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to provide statutory guidance to schools on the use of isolation rooms for students.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which should set out the behaviour expected of pupils, the sanctions that will be imposed for poor behaviour, and rewards for good behaviour. Schools have to make these policies publicly available on their websites. To help schools develop effective strategies, the Department has produced advice for schools which covers what should be included in the behaviour policy. This advice can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-and-discipline-in-schools.
Schools can adopt a policy which allows disruptive pupils to be placed in isolation away from other pupils for a limited period. If a school uses isolation rooms as a disciplinary penalty, this should be made clear in their behaviour policy. As with other disciplinary penalties, schools must act lawfully, reasonably and proportionately in all cases. The school must also ensure the health and safety of pupils.
The Department regularly reviews the guidance issued to schools and updates it as appropriate. The Department has no current plans to make the guidance statutory.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and East Dulwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of schools off-rolling pupils on the standard of those pupils' education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended. Where a school issues an exclusion, there is a formal process that must be followed. ‘Unofficial’ or ‘informal’ exclusions, such as sending pupils home to ‘cool off’, are unlawful regardless of whether they are done with the agreement of parents or carers and regardless of the age of the pupil. Any exclusion of a pupil, even for short periods of time, must be formally recorded.
Following media coverage of inappropriate off-rolling last summer, the Department wrote to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules surrounding exclusion.
Ofsted recently issued guidance to inspectors, reminding them to be alert to this matter. The guidance makes clear that instances of off-rolling should be discussed with the school during the inspection, and should inform the evaluation of the school.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and East Dulwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of isolation rooms in primary and secondary schools on decreasing incidences of disruptive behaviour.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information regarding schools’ use of isolation rooms is not held centrally. We trust schools to develop their own policies and strategies for managing disruptive behaviour according to their particular circumstances. To help schools develop effective strategies, the Department has produced advice for schools which covers what should be included in their behaviour policy, which can be viewed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488034/Behaviour_and_Discipline_in_Schools_-_A_guide_for_headteachers_and_School_Staff.pdf.
Schools can adopt a policy which allows disruptive pupils to be placed in isolation away from other pupils. If a school uses isolation rooms as a disciplinary penalty, this should be made clear in their behaviour policy. As with other disciplinary penalties, schools must act lawfully, reasonably and proportionately in all cases, and must take account of any special education needs or disabilities pupils placed in isolation may have. The school must also ensure the health and safety of pupils.
It is for individual schools to decide how long a pupil should be kept in isolation and for the staff member in charge to determine what pupils may and may not do during the time they are there. Schools should ensure that pupils are kept in isolation no longer than is necessary and that their time spent there is used as constructively as possible.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and East Dulwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of isolation rooms on pupils with learning difficulties.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information regarding schools’ use of isolation rooms is not held centrally. We trust schools to develop their own policies and strategies for managing disruptive behaviour according to their particular circumstances. To help schools develop effective strategies, the Department has produced advice for schools which covers what should be included in their behaviour policy, which can be viewed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488034/Behaviour_and_Discipline_in_Schools_-_A_guide_for_headteachers_and_School_Staff.pdf.
Schools can adopt a policy which allows disruptive pupils to be placed in isolation away from other pupils. If a school uses isolation rooms as a disciplinary penalty, this should be made clear in their behaviour policy. As with other disciplinary penalties, schools must act lawfully, reasonably and proportionately in all cases, and must take account of any special education needs or disabilities pupils placed in isolation may have. The school must also ensure the health and safety of pupils.
It is for individual schools to decide how long a pupil should be kept in isolation and for the staff member in charge to determine what pupils may and may not do during the time they are there. Schools should ensure that pupils are kept in isolation no longer than is necessary and that their time spent there is used as constructively as possible.