(UK) Manchester: One in 12 students put in isolation "at least once a week"; many with SPED needs
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Oct 23, 2025, Guardian: One in 12 secondary pupils put in isolation rooms at least once a week, study finds
Children with special educational needs more than twice as likely to be put in isolation, say Manchester researchers
One in 12 secondary pupils report being put into school isolation rooms at least once a week where they often spend in excess of eight hours, missing more than a full day of lessons, according to research.
Children with special educational needs were more than twice as likely to be placed in isolation, otherwise known as internal exclusion, while students from low-income backgrounds were also disproportionately affected. . . .
The use of isolation, and in particular isolation booths, has become a growing source of concern among some parents, who complain about an overly punitive system that harms their child’s education and mental health. . . .
Unlike suspensions or permanent exclusions, there are no national rules on how isolation 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. The researchers say it shows the practice is more widespread and harmful than parents or school leaders realise.
They analysed survey data from the #BeeWell programme, a study of young people’s wellbeing based on a survey of 34,000 pupils at 121 mainstream secondary schools across Greater Manchester.
They found that 8.3% reported being placed in isolation at least once a week, and the average time pupils said they spent in isolation was 8.5 hours a week. Those put into isolation complained that their sense of belonging suffered, they had poorer relationships with teachers and lower levels of mental wellbeing.
“Internal exclusion is happening every day in classrooms across England, yet it is largely hidden from view,” said the report’s lead author, Emma Thornton. “We know that it can provide an effective short-term solution for teachers dealing with disruption in their class who want to create the conditions for all pupils to thrive.
“But our findings show that it is disproportionately applied to young people most in need of support, and leads to lost learning, weaker connections with teachers, and in some cases poorer mental health.” . . .
Mrs Justice Collins Rice found the school had not “crossed the boundaries of what the law or good practice permits”, despite questions about the “reasonableness” of the policy and the lack of alternatives.
The lead professor of #BeeWell, Neil Humphrey, said: “We know schools face huge pressures in managing behaviour, but our evidence suggests isolation is not the solution. . . .
Tom Bennett, a former teacher and adviser to the Department for Education (DfE) on behaviour policy, said: “When students persistently disrupt lessons, or attack or harass students or staff in lessons, schools have little choice but to remove the students temporarily from lessons.
“What other choice do they have? This is yet another attack on the duty of schools to keep students safe and free from abuse, by people with an axe to grind against all forms of adult authority.”
A DfE spokesperson said there should be high expectations around pupil behaviour and schools should expect parents to back them. “We are determined to get to grips with the causes of poor behaviour – including through access to specialist mental health professionals in every secondary school,” they said.
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