Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government’s commitment to make it a legal duty for incidents of use of reasonable force to be recorded and reported to parents or carers by bringing section 93A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 into force when parliamentary time allows, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to enact this commitment in this Parliament.

The Government recognises that the misuse of reasonable force or restrictive practices can have a significant and long-lasting effect on the pupils, staff members and parents involved, as well as the wider classroom by potentially hindering the creation of a calm, safe and supportive school environment. The Government is therefore committed to minimising the use of reasonable force and restrictive practice in all schools.

Part of this action is to commence Section 93A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, which will make recording and reporting of incidents of use of force to parents/carers a legal duty, alongside producing revised ‘Use of Reasonable Force’ guidance to support schools to understand and implement their duties.

A call for evidence into the use of reasonable force and restrictive practices in schools has been launched, which will run from 15 February to 11 May 2023. This evidence will inform the drafting of the ‘Use of Reasonable Force’ guidance, which will be subject to a public consultation.