Restraint and seclusion reporting: what the 2026 regulations mean in daily school life
Restraint and seclusion reporting: what the 2025 regulations mean in daily school life The 2026 DfE guidance sits alongside statutory recording and reporting duties, including the Seclusion and Restraint Regulations 2025. For schools, the practical message is clear: restraint and seclusion incidents must be recorded and parents informed promptly, even where plans already exist. That […]
Why schools need a training needs assessment before positive handling training
Why schools need a training needs assessment before positive handling training A school asks for positive handling training. That is common enough. The harder question is whether the school has first identified what training it actually needs. The 2026 DfE guidance says staff likely to use restrictive interventions should receive appropriate training specific to the […]
The 2026 DfE Guidance on Restrictive Interventions: What School Leaders Should Be Reviewing Now
The new 2026 DfE restrictive interventions guidance changes what schools must document, record and review. We have been asked repeatedly over the last few weeks to review school policies against it, and the pattern is now clear. The pattern is now clear. Most schools are not starting from nothing. They already have behaviour policies, positive […]
Who should be trained to use reasonable force in schools?
Who should be trained to use reasonable force in schools? Th: Who should be trained to use reasonable force in schools? The 2026 DfE guidance makes a sensible but important point: schools should ensure staff who are likely to use restrictive interventions receive appropriate training that is specific to the school’s requirements. That sounds straightforward. […]
Ground restraint and unsafe techniques: what schools must remove from training
Ground restraint and unsafe techniques: what schools must remove from training The 2026 DfE guidance is explicit about unsafe practice. Force must never be used as punishment. Techniques that restrict breathing or circulation, or apply pressure to the neck or abdomen, must not be used. If ground restraint happens, it should be ended or repositioned […]
Reporting to parents: why same-day communication protects trust
Reporting to parents: why same-day communication protects trust Few moments test a school’s relationship with parents more than a restrictive intervention involving their child. The 2026 DfE guidance is clear: parents should be informed as soon as practicable, ideally the same day, when there has been a significant use of force, restraint or seclusion. Written […]
From behaviour policy to practice: making the guidance work in corridors and classrooms
From behaviour policy to practice: making the guidance work in corridors and classrooms Most schools have a behaviour policy. Many have a reasonable force or restrictive intervention section. Some have separate recording forms, risk assessments and behaviour support plans. On paper, the system may look complete. Then the bell goes, the corridor fills, a pupil […]
Why “no-contact” policies can put schools at risk
Why “no-contact” policies can put schools at risk A head tea: Why “no-contact” policies can put schools at risk A head teacher once asked us whether the safest position was to tell staff never to touch pupils at all. I understand the instinct. Complaints, allegations, social media, parental scrutiny and safeguarding anxiety have made many […]
Governors and intervention data: the questions boards should be asking
Governors and intervention data: the questions boards should be asking The 2026 DfE guidance gives governing bodies and proprietors a clear oversight role. They should ensure recording and reporting procedures are followed and analyse intervention data to improve practice, identify training needs, detect repeat patterns and monitor disproportionality. That is a serious responsibility. It also […]
Seclusion is not a sanction: what the 2026 guidance means for safe spaces
Seclusion is not a sanction: what the 2026 guidance means for safe spaces The word “seclusion” can create immediate anxiety in schools, and rightly so. It is a serious restriction on a pupil’s freedom. The 2026 DfE guidance is clear that seclusion must be a safety measure only, not punishment or discipline. It must happen […]