Change at the DfE
At the very end of last term, Lucy Powell was appointed secretary of state for education, as part of new prime minister Andy Burnham’s cabinet annou...
7th Sep 2026
Devon Association of Governance
Use of reasonable force
The updated ‘Use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions in schools’ guidance comes into effect following a recent consultation.
The guidance is statutory and has been updated to provide new information about recording and reporting the use of force, effective from September 2025.
The updates include:
- New statutory guidance about recording and reporting the use of force, effective from September 2025
- New non-statutory guidance about the use, recording and reporting of other restrictive interventions
- Additional clarification on the use of reasonable force to help school staff use this power safely and appropriately
- Specific support for staff who work with pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)