Need-to-know: DfE updates guidance on behaviour, searches and exclusions

Tuesday 4 July 2023 9:47 AM
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Updated guidance on pupil behaviour, searches, and suspensions and exclusions will come into effect on 1 September. Be alert to the upcoming changes now.

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The DfE has updated the following guidance documents with changes that will come into effect on 1 September 2022:

These updates follow on from the Timpson review of school exclusion and the case of Child Q, where a pupil was strip-searched without parental consent at school.

Read our headline summary of what's changing below. We're working on more in-depth summaries and resources to help you prepare for the changes, which will be available in the coming weeks.

Pupil behaviour

The DfE provides more detailed guidance on what effective behaviour management looks like, including:

  • The role of staff in supporting good behaviour
  • How your school should support pupils after a sanction
  • Managing behaviour for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
  • Responding to specific behaviour issues (including misbehaviour online and suspected criminal behaviour)
There's also more guidance on:

What your school should include in