One in 12 secondary pupils put in isolation rooms at least once a week, study finds | Schools

According to one study, one in 12 high school students report being placed in school isolation rooms at least once a week, where they often spend more than eight hours, missing more than a full day of classes.

Children with special educational needs were more than twice as likely to be placed in segregation, also known as internal exclusion, while students from low-income backgrounds were also disproportionately affected.

Students receiving free school meals were more than one and a half times more likely to be placed in segregation than their wealthier peers, researchers found from self-reported data provided by students.

Children identified as LGBTQ+ were almost twice as likely to be isolated, while black, Asian and mixed-heritage children were also more likely to be isolated than their white British peers, according to research from the University of Manchester.

The use of isolation, and in particular isolation booths, has become a source of growing concern among some parents, who complain of an overly punitive system that harms their child’s education and mental health.

Seclusion usually involves removing a student from a class for disruptive behavior and asking them to work alone or quietly in a separate room, but parents complain that children can be placed in seclusion for minor violations of school rules, which those with complex behaviors and special needs may have difficulty adhering to.

Unlike suspensions or permanent exclusions, there are no national rules on how solitary confinement should be used or for how long, and there is no publicly available national data.

The Manchester study, published in the British Educational Research Journal, is the first large-scale investigation into internal exclusion. Researchers say this shows the practice is more widespread and harmful than parents or school leaders think.

They analyzed survey data from the #BeeWell programme, a study into young people’s wellbeing based on a survey of 34,000 pupils from 121 mainstream secondary schools in Greater Manchester.

They found that 8.3% reported being placed in seclusion at least once a week, and the average amount of time students reported spending in seclusion was 8.5 hours per week. Isolated people complain that their sense of belonging suffers, they have poorer relationships with teachers and lower levels of mental well-being.

“Internal exclusion happens every day in classrooms across England, and yet it remains largely hidden,” said the report’s lead author, Emma Thornton. “We know this can be an effective short-term solution for teachers facing disruption in their classrooms and wanting to create the conditions for all students to thrive.

“But our findings show that it is disproportionately applied to young people who need the most support and results in learning loss, weaker connections with teachers and, in some cases, poorer mental health.”

Earlier this year, the High Court upheld the use of seclusion cubicles by schools in England, dashing the hopes of campaigners who claim seclusion cubicles are stressful and stigmatizing for pupils.

Lawyers for three families argued that the prolonged use of seclusion cubicles for disruptive or violent behavior was depriving children of an education at Leeds’ John Smeaton Academy. One child spent 83 days in segregation and 14 days suspended, more than half the school year.

Judge Collins Rice found the school had not “crossed the line of what the law or good practice permits,” despite questions about the “reasonableness” of the policy and the lack of alternatives.

#BeeWell lead teacher Neil Humphrey said: “We know that schools face huge pressures when it comes to managing behavior, but our evidence suggests that isolation is not the solution.

“We need to invest in positive behavior supports, restorative approaches and better mental health services – strategies that keep children connected to their learning and their school community. »

Kiran Gill of The Difference, a whole-school inclusion education charity, said: “What is needed is more research and sharing of practice on effective ways to set up internal spaces that are diagnostic, supportive and get children back into class as quickly as possible. »

Ellie Costello of Not Fine in School, which supports children and families struggling to attend school, wants the government to ensure the use of seclusion in mainstream schools is made compulsory, as is already the case for suspensions and exclusions.

Tom Bennett, a former teacher and advisor to the Department for Education (DfE) on behavioral policy, said: “When pupils persistently disrupt lessons, or attack or harass pupils or staff in lessons, schools have no choice but to temporarily remove pupils from lessons.

“What other choice do they have? This is yet another attack on schools’ duty to keep students safe and protect them from abuse, by people who have an agenda to fight against all forms of adult authority.”

A DfE spokesperson said there should be high expectations for pupils’ behavior and schools should expect parents to support them. “We are determined to tackle the causes of poor behavior, including having access to specialist mental health professionals in every secondary school,” they said.