New Policy: England to Limit At-Home Suspensions to Violent Misconduct

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a significant shift in school discipline policy, moving to ensure that at-home suspensions are reserved only for the most severe cases of bad behavior, such as violence. Under new guidance to be included in an upcoming schools white paper, pupils who commit non-violent offenses will instead be placed in "internal suspension" units.

Addressing the Post-Pandemic Surge

This policy change arrives as schools grapple with a record-breaking spike in disciplinary actions. In the 2023-24 school year, nearly one million suspensions were issued in England. The DfE believes that many of these cases could be better handled internally to prevent a total break in the child's education.

By formalising the use of internal units, the government aims to:

• Maintain Discipline: Ensure that sanctions still feel like a "punishment" by removing social interaction;

• Improve Safeguarding: Keep vulnerable children in a supervised setting where staff can monitor their well-being; and

• Boost Inclusion: Align with the new schools white paper, which seeks to integrate 60,000 more children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) into mainstream state schools.

Challenges for School Leaders

While the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) acknowledges the need for clarity, there is a significant concern regarding funding and resources. Operating a high-quality internal suspension unit requires dedicated space and consistent staffing by qualified personnel.

Critics also point out that "isolation booths" have historically been inconsistent. Without strict guidelines, there is a risk that these units could become "warehouses" for disruptive students rather than the "structured interventions" the government intends them to be.

The reform aims to keep students within the school environment where they can be supervised and supported, rather than being sent home—a sanction the government argues has become ineffective in the digital age.

Modernising School Discipline

The DfE highlighted that current suspension rules were designed 40 years ago, long before the era of smartphones. Officials argue that being sent home today often results in "unfettered access" to online gaming and social media, which fails to act as a deterrent or re-engage the pupil with their education.

Key changes under the new framework:

• Internal Supervised Learning: Pupils will continue their studies in a separate setting on school grounds, reinforcing behavioural expectations without a total break from learning;

• Mobile Phone Consistency: The policy closes the loophole where pupils are banned from phones during school hours but given full access to them while suspended at home; and

• Focus on Inclusion: The new guidance is linked to a broader plan to keep more children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) in mainstream schools, requiring more flexible and supportive behavioural interventions.

Concerns and Challenges

While the clarity of the new rules has been welcomed by some, education leaders and critics have raised several points of concern:

• Deterrent Effect: Some teachers worry that removing the threat of an off-site suspension might weaken the perceived consequence of misbehaviour;

• Resource Demands: School leaders, represented by the ASCL, have warned that staffing and managing internal units creates additional administrative and financial burdens. They stress that these mandates must be backed by sufficient government funding; and

• Consistency and Quality: Critics of "isolation units" point out that these rooms are often inconsistent across schools, sometimes lacking high-quality academic work or proper supervision.

A System Under Pressure

The policy shift comes as school suspensions in England reached record levels following the pandemic, with nearly one million issued in the 2023-24 academic year. By formalizing internal exclusions, the government hopes to provide a more structured intervention that allows for reflection and addresses the underlying causes of disruptive conduct.

The full details of these reforms, along with plans to create 60,000 new places for children with Send in mainstream schools, are expected to be published in a forthcoming white paper.