Statutory restrictive interventions and reasonable force: what schools need to know ahead of April 2026
The DfE has now published its final guidance on Restrictive interventions, including the use of reasonable force, in schools. This replaces the previous 2013 guidance and introduces new statutory safeguarding duties that come into force from 1 April 2026.
While the guidance itself is detailed, the safeguarding message running through it is clear – restrictive interventions should be minimised wherever possible, and when they are used, they must be lawful, proportionate, transparent and subject to appropriate oversight.
From a safeguarding perspective, this marks an important shift. The guidance explicitly recognises that restrictive interventions can have a significant impact not only on pupils, but also on staff, parents and the wider school environment. As a result, schools are now expected to be proactive in reducing the likelihood that restrictive interventions are needed at all. Early support, prevention and de-escalation are positioned as central to safe and effective practice, rather than as optional additions.
Where restrictive interventions are used, the guidance is clear that they must be safe, appropriate to the circumstances and used for the minimum time necessary to reduce risk with focused decision-making on the pupil’s welfare and dignity.
All members of school staff continue to have a legal power to use reasonable force, but only in limited and clearly defined circumstances. The guidance reiterates that force may be used solely to:
- prevent or stop a pupil from causing injury to themselves or others
- committing a criminal offence
- damaging property, or
- causing disorder among pupils
It is explicit that reasonable force must never be used as a punishment, and that any force used must be proportionate and time limited.
Clear safeguarding boundaries are now set out to protect pupils from harm, reinforcing that staff must not restrain pupils in a way that affects breathing or circulation, apply pressure to the neck, nose, mouth or abdomen, or intentionally hold pupils on the ground acknowledging that restraint carries inherent physical and psychological risks and should therefore be avoided wherever possible.
Where restraint does occur, pupils should receive a medical assessment where appropriate, and schools should remain alert to the fact that harm may occur even when injuries are not immediately visible.
From April 2026, new statutory duties apply to the recording and reporting of restrictive interventions. Trusts and governing bodies must ensure that procedures are in place to record every ‘significant incident’ involving the use of force. The guidance defines a ‘significant incident’ as:
“Any incident where the use of force goes beyond appropriate physical contact between pupils and staff.” this includes “When physical force is used to implement a non-physical restrictive intervention.”
Records must be made in writing as soon as practicable after the incident and should be completed no later than the same day.
The guidance is clear about the minimum information that must be captured, including what led to the incident, any de-escalation strategies used, why force was assessed as necessary, whether the pupil has an identified SEND, and what support followed.
Parents must also be informed, in writing, of each significant use of force as soon as practicable, and staff should endeavour to do this on the same day. This applies even where the use of restrictive interventions has been agreed in advance as part of a behaviour support plan. The guidance also highlights the value of follow-up discussions with parents to review triggers, strategies used and next steps.
One of the most helpful clarifications within the updated guidance relates to seclusion. Seclusion is defined as ‘a non-disciplinary intervention where a pupil is confined away from others and prevented from leaving’. Seclusion must only ever be used as a safety measure to protect others from harm, where a pupil is experiencing high levels of emotional or behavioural dysregulation and never be used as a punishment.
During any period of seclusion, pupils must be continuously supervised, the environment must be safe and non-threatening, and the intervention must end as soon as the immediate risk has reduced and like restrictive interventions and restraint, must be recorded and reported in line with statutory requirements.
It recognises that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) may be disproportionately affected by restrictive interventions and the guidance expects school staff to seek to understand the underlying triggers for behaviour. Proactive support, prevention strategies and de-escalation approaches are strongly emphasised.
Where appropriate, schools should work with pupils and parents to co-produce behaviour support plans, ensuring that reasonable adjustments and clear communication strategies are in place. These plans should be reviewed following significant incidents, and there is a reminder that schools must continue to meet their duties under the Equality Act.
Finally, the guidance places clear responsibility on trusts and governing bodies to ensure that recording and reporting procedures are in place, understood, followed and that data on restrictive interventions is actively reviewed and monitored to identify patterns, repeat incidents, training needs, the effectiveness of pupil support and any disproportionate impact on pupils with SEND, protected characteristics or other vulnerabilities.
This guidance firmly positions restrictive interventions as a safeguarding responsibility, not simply a behaviour management issue. It reinforces the need for transparency, accountability, reflection, and supports schools to reduce reliance on restrictive practices while keeping pupils, staff and school communities safe.
How Safeguarding Support can help!
We know that preparing for April 2026 will involve more than a simple policy update. Schools and trusts will need to consider staff understanding and training, leadership oversight, governance assurance and the robustness of recording and reporting arrangements.
We can help with:
- staff briefings and training
- governor and trustee assurance, including reviews of recording and reporting arrangements
- safeguarding-led audits of current practice
Join our February CPD session
To support schools and trusts further, our CPD session on 12th February 2026 will focus on summarising the new DfE guidance and translating it into clear, practical action.
This 90-minute session is designed for senior leaders, safeguarding leads and governors and will provide straightforward advice on what needs to be in place to ensure compliance by April 2026. We will also introduce a one-page governor safeguarding assurance tool, designed to support effective oversight and constructive challenge.
Following the session, we will make available:
- model training slides for staff briefings
- practical compliance checklist aligned to the guidance and written to support inspection confidence
Secure your place HERE
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If you would like support in preparing for these changes, do not hesitate to contact us
