Every Adult Has The Power: DfE's 4 Purposes For Reasonable Force

Ten to one, wet playground, two Year 4s gone from pushing to punching, and the nearest adult is a midday supervisor thinking "am I allowed to touch him?" Since 1 April there's a 21-page answer. All staff have the power, for four purposes; "no contact" cultures are the thing schools are told not to have; and — the part that's now law — every significant use of force is written down and reported to the parent the same day. A reader and a teaching assistant walk through it.

Sources: DfE — Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools (April 2026) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-reasonable-force-in-schools

Printable one-pager for this episode at theeducationcommute.co.uk

Both voices on this show are synthesised; the research, reading and editorial judgement are done by a serving practitioner.

Strand: Staff