Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the use of isolation booths on the mental health of young people in school.

In June 2021, the department launched a call for evidence on managing behaviour and the use of isolation rooms in schools, including asking how vulnerable pupils are supported. This evidence will be considered and further assessed alongside the results of a public consultation later this year on the ‘behaviour and discipline in schools’ guidance. The guidance will provide practical advice to schools about how to encourage good behaviour and respond effectively to incidents of misbehaviour in and out of the classroom.

Our ‘mental health and behaviour in schools’ guidance includes specific information about supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, and can assist schools with their own assessment of the interaction between behavioural issues, management and mental health. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.