Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of strict disciplinary regimes in schools on children with (a) autism and (b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Strong behaviour cultures and boundaries have a positive impact on the wellbeing of pupils and staff. Schools need to manage behaviour well so that they can provide calm, safe and supportive environments where pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected. No pupil should miss out on teaching because their lesson is disrupted.

Where behaviour is poor, pupils can suffer from issues as diverse as lost teaching time, child-on-child abuse, anxiety, bullying, violence, and distress. It can cause some children to stay away from school, missing vital education.

The Behaviour in Schools guidance, published in 2022, focuses on how schools can proactively support pupils to behave appropriately through explicit teaching of what good behaviour looks like, and highlights the need for mutual respect and kindness between staff and pupils. It acknowledges that positive relationships can be built in environments where there is predictability, fairness and trust, and in these environments, pupils with additional needs can be better supported to meet a school’s behaviour expectations.

Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.