School suspensions in England will be limited to the most serious cases of misbehaviour, including violence, under new government guidance aimed at keeping more pupils in education rather than sending them home.
The Department for Education is set to launch a consultation on behaviour policy as part of a forthcoming schools white paper. The proposals would encourage schools to deal with non-violent disruption through supervised “internal exclusion” units, instead of traditional suspensions.
Ministers say the approach is designed to reduce time spent out of school, while maintaining firm discipline. School leaders and teachers have broadly welcomed the additional clarity, though some have warned that suspensions could lose their deterrent effect if used more sparingly.
In a statement, the Department for Education said: “Suspensions were introduced 40 years ago – long before the existence of mobile phones and social media. Today, suspension at home can mean unfettered access to friends and online gaming – doing little to address behaviour, enforce punishment or re-engage pupils with learning.”
“The government has been clear that mobile phones have no place in schools. This reform will bring suspensions in line with that principle, ending the contradiction where pupils are restricted from phones in school but effectively handed them all day when suspended.
“The most serious and violent behaviour will still result in pupils being removed from the school environment and the new framework will not replace at home suspensions.”
Under the proposals, headteachers will continue to have discretion to suspend pupils when necessary. However, the guidance will formally promote internal exclusion, allowing pupils to “continue learning in a separate, supervised setting, away from other pupils”, while reinforcing behavioural expectations and addressing disruptive conduct.
Many schools, particularly secondary schools, already operate internal exclusion or removal rooms as an alternative to sending pupils home. Critics have previously raised concerns about inconsistent practice, including poor supervision or a lack of meaningful work. The DfE said the new guidance would “set clearer expectations”, ensuring internal exclusions are short-term, structured and focused on learning and reflection.
Suspensions, previously known as fixed-term exclusions, have risen sharply in England since the Covid pandemic. Nearly one million were recorded during the 2023–24 academic year.
The schools white paper, due to be published next month, will also outline plans to educate more children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream state schools. Officials acknowledge this is likely to require greater flexibility in behaviour policies to support pupils with social and emotional needs.
The department said inclusive schools would be supported to maintain high standards while tackling the underlying causes of poor behaviour.
Kiran Gill, chief executive of the education charity The Difference, said the proposals marked a positive shift.
“This is a really exciting direction of travel – to recognise that, though sanctions are important in schools, children being out of school or learning can worsen safeguarding threats and long term outcomes,” she said.
“The Difference is launching a new programme supporting 10 schools to reduce repeat suspensions and room removals, and to build sector-leading internal provision over three years. We see school leaders every day walking towards this challenge, and have been learning from effective practice to share with the whole sector.”