The High Court has upheld the use of isolation booths in schools in England, rejecting a judicial review application brought by families of pupils at John Smeaton Academy in Leeds. The ruling dashes the hopes of campaigners who argue the booths are stressful and stigmatising for students.
Mrs Justice Collins Rice found that the school had not crossed legal boundaries, despite questions about the policy's reasonableness. She noted that isolation offers a vital alternative to suspension, keeping students in supervised education and providing a structured way back to the classroom. The judge highlighted that behaviour in two of the three cases showed signs of improvement.
Lawyers for the families argued that prolonged isolation deprived children of education, with one pupil spending 83 days in isolation and 14 days suspended—more than half the school year. Dan Rosenberg, representing the claimants, expressed disappointment and said they are considering an appeal, hoping the case will shine a light on the issue nationally.
Tom Bennett, a former teacher and government behaviour adviser, described the ruling as significant, stating that removing disruptive students is sometimes necessary to maintain safety and order. However, one school leader cautioned that schools need better pastoral support to address complex behaviours resulting from austerity cuts to local authority services.
