The move, under public consultation, has been taken due to “a shameful number of cases of mistreatment against vulnerable pupils" having "come to light under the guise of 'reasonable force and restraint'", according to education minister Stephen Morgan.
This is the first update to the guidance on reasonable force in schools since 2013 and the government looks to legislate to mandate schools to record and report “each significant incident where force is used”.
Recent incidents have included autistic children being restrained by the neck and thrown to the floor, according to a BBC investigation into a London school last year.
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Almost nine in 10 families of children with learning disabilities and behavioural issues said their child had been restrained at school, according to a previous survey.
The updated Department for Education guidance aims to clarify when reasonable force is “appropriate and necessary”.
Where the intervention is used, “staff should use the least amount of force or least restrictive intervention necessary for the least amount of time required to reduce the relevant risks”, states the updated guidance.
Staff should consider the personal circumstances of the pupil "such as medical conditions, special educational needs or other vulnerabilities" and their "characteristics such as age and size", it adds.
It also urges schools to put in place policies “to minimise use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions”. Instead, staff are urged to prevent and de-escalate situations.
Schools' policies on the use of restraint "should emphasise the importance of prevention and de-escalation as a means of minimising the need to use reasonable force and other restrictive interventions”, states the guidance.
There also needs to be consideration of how the school and classroom environment can better support pupils and prevent incidents. Staff should also receive training in communication strategies, such as using an appropriate tone of voice to de-escalate incidents.
Other measures schools are urged to adopt to reduce the need for restraint is to build trust between staff and pupils.
Avoiding triggers that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may find distressing and lead to behaviour where they may harm themselves or others, is also advised.
This includes situations with sensory overload and unfamiliar situations that can spark feelings of fear and anxiety.
The guidance warns that pupils with SEND may be “disproportionately subject to the use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions” when they react to triggering incidents.
Schools also need to work more closely with parents of individual pupils to prevent incidents, it says.
“Giving pupils time, space and strategies to calm down before their behaviour escalates,” is advised.
“The use of reasonable force is sometimes necessary to keep everyone in the school community safe, but misuse can leave significant and long-lasting effects on the pupils, staff members and parents,” said Morgan.
He added that the aim of the fresh guidance is to “ensure every child can thrive and these changes will help to ensure that parents are immediately notified about any use of force and can play a key role in discussions about how their child’s needs are met.”
The DfE has launched a consultation around the guidance, which closes on 29 April.
