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<p>We have issued advice to schools on the use of reasonable force, which makes clear
that teachers have a specific power to use reasonable force to prevent pupils from
causing injury to themselves or others, causing damage to property or from causing
disorder. While there is no requirement for schools to have a policy on the use of
force, we say that it is good practice to do so. Our advice says that any school policy
on the use of reasonable force should acknowledge their legal duty to make reasonable
adjustments for disabled children and children with special educational needs (SEN).
Whether or not to physically intervene is down to the professional judgement of the
staff member concerned and should always depend on individual circumstances and the
needs of the individual pupil.</p><p>Additionally, we have laid before Parliament
a new 0-25 SEN and Disability Code of Practice. This makes it clear that schools should
seek to identify whether there are any factors, such as undiagnosed special educational
needs, that might underlie disruptive behaviour. We also issued advice on Behaviour
and Mental Health in June 2014 to help teachers differentiate between pupils that
are simply behaving badly, and behaviour – whether it is disruptive, withdrawn, anxious,
depressed or otherwise – that may be related to an unmet mental health need. This
advice also outlined how these children can be supported.</p>
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