Key facts
- A school placed a pupil in an isolation booth for more than half an academic year.
- 23 students at Outwood Grange Academy spent over 20% of their days in isolation booths.
- Former students described isolation booths as monitored spaces where work was often inappropriate or absent.
- Outwood Grange Academy claims its isolation policy successfully improves behavior.
- A student at Ivybridge Community College died, with his parents and a youth worker suggesting school policies contributed to his distress.
A BBC investigation has revealed that a school placed a pupil in an isolation booth for over half of an academic year, raising significant concerns about the use of "no excuses" discipline policies in English schools.
At Outwood Grange Academy in Wakefield, one child spent more than 20% of their school days in isolation booths over the past two academic years. This practice is part of a broader trend of "internal exclusion" or "reflection" rooms, which government guidance suggests should be a last resort. However, analysis indicates widespread use, with 18% of students at hundreds of secondary schools experiencing isolation at least once a year.
Former students described these isolation booths as supervised spaces with plastic dividers, monitored by cameras, where they were often given no work or trivial tasks. One former student, identified as Ben, reported being isolated 58 times in a single academic year, often for a full day, and receiving warnings for minor infractions like slouching or looking around. Parents reported children being sent to isolation for issues such as untucked shirts or asking to use the toilet.
Outwood Grange Academy defended its policy, stating that students are only sent to isolation after multiple warnings and that the approach has successfully improved behavior. The school also noted that students might initially be given simple tasks to de-escalate behavior before receiving academic work, and that repeated minor incidents can disrupt the learning environment for others.
The investigation also highlighted the case of Ivybridge Community College, which introduced stricter rules and isolation. Parents formed a support group, and one student, Taylor Lee, expressed that the school's policies caused him mental health issues. Taylor was suspended after raising concerns and later died. His parents and a youth intervention worker suggested that the school's "punitive system" and the student's feeling of being "set up to fail" contributed to his distress. The inquest into his death is ongoing.
While schools in England and Wales are banned from suspending pupils for more than 45 days a year, there are no limits on internal exclusion. Consultants like Bradley Nash, known as "The Behaviour Guy," advocate for "no excuses" approaches, arguing they are crucial for ensuring other students' educational opportunities.