New powers for schools to deal with pupils who misbehave will come into force next year after the Education and Inspections Bill received royal assent last week.

The reforms, which for the first time give schools a statutory power todiscipline pupils, will come into effect on 1 April 2007. Measures toensure parents take full responsibility for their children when they areexcluded will come into force in September 2007. Parenting contractswill be extended so they can be used before children are excluded.

- www.dfes.gov.uk; See Analysis, p11.