Archive Website of the UK government

• Text version

• Help with video files

Promoting good behaviour

All pupils in a school benefit when behaviour is good. High standards of behaviour are important in helping children to feel safe and learn well, and parents and carers play a key part in this.

The government advises schools to focus on promoting positive behaviour, helping to build self-discipline and encouraging respect for others. But schools also need sanctions to deter pupils from misbehaving.

Behaviour policies

Schools should review their behaviour policies regularly and publicise them to parents, staff and pupils.

Behaviour policies should include a code of conduct for pupils. Rules on conduct can apply before and after school as well as during the school day. They can set expectations for how pupils will behave in corridors, in bus queues and at lunch and break times as well as in the classroom.

Sanctions

Schools have a legal right to impose reasonable sanctions if a pupil misbehaves. Sanctions a school might use include:

• a reprimand
• a letter to parents or carers
• removal from a class or group
• loss of privileges
• confiscating something belonging to your child if it’s inappropriate for school (for example, a mobile phone or music player)
• detention

Discipline and physical contact

Teachers can’t punish pupils physically, but can physically restrain them where it’s necessary to stop a pupil injuring him or herself or someone else, damaging property or causing serious disruption.

Certain staff can search a pupil suspected of carrying a weapon, illegal drugs, alcohol or stolen items with or without their consent.

• Find out more about school discipline and behaviour policies Opens new window

Your child and detention

Detentions can take place during school hours, at lunchtime, after school or at weekends. If your child fails to attend without a reasonable excuse, the school may give them a more severe punishment.

The school's behaviour policy should set out the school's approach to issuing detentions.

Fixed period exclusions

A child who gets into serious trouble at school can be excluded for a fixed period of time.

Some points to bear in mind are that:

• only the headteacher or acting headteacher can exclude a child
• your child can't be given fixed period (non-permanent) exclusions which total more than 45 school days in any one school year

Following an exclusion the school must tell you :

• the period and reason for exclusion
• how you can ask for the exclusion to be consideredby the governing body
• your duty during the first five days of an exclusion to keep your child away from public places during normal school hours, unless there is a good reason
• the arrangements they have made if your child has been excluded for more than five days

Permanent exclusions

A school will usually only permanently exclude a child as a last resort, after trying to improve the child's behaviour through other means. However, there are exceptional circumstances in which a headteacher may decide to permanently exclude a pupil for a 'one-off' offence.

Some points to bear in mind if your child has been permanently excluded:

More useful links

• Guidance on exclusion from schools and pupil referral units Opens new window

• Parentchannel.tv (information videos for parents) Opens new window

• Department for Education advice and guidance on behaviour and discipline in schools Opens new window

Useful contacts

• The Children's Legal Centre Opens new window

• Parents contacts