StBedesCatholicCollege

PolicyontheUseofPhysical
ContactwithPupils

StBedesCatholicCollege
PolicyontheUseofPhysicalContactwithPupils
WithinStBedes,teachingstaff,LearningSupportAssistants,Librarian,Technicians,wheninlesson,School
MealsSupervisoryAssistantsandFirstAidersareauthorisedbythePrincipaltohavecontrolorchargeof
pupilsinexercisingtheirseparateroleswithintheschool.
Amemberofstaffwhomayhavetointervenephysicallywithapupilneedstounderstandclearlythe
optionsandstrategiesopentohim/her.Amemberofstaffmustnothesitatetoactinanemergency
providedtheyfollowtheseguidelines.
Reasonableforce:
1. Thetermreasonableforcecoversthebroadrangeofactionsusedbymostteachersatsomepointin
theircareerthatinvolveadegreeofphysicalcontactwithpupils.
2. Forceisusuallyusedeithertocontrolorrestrain.Thiscanrangefromguidingapupiltosafetybythe
armthroughtomoreextremecircumstancessuchasbreakingupafightorwhereastudentneedsto
berestrainedtopreventviolenceorinjury.
3. Reasonableinthecircumstancesmeansusingnomoreforcethanisneeded.
4. Schoolsmayuseforcetocontrolpupilsandtorestrainthem.Controlmeanseitherpassivephysical
contact,suchasstandingbetweenpupilsorblockingapupil'spath,oractivephysicalcontactsuchas
leadingapupilbythearmoutofaclassroom.
5. Restraintmeanstoholdbackphysicallyortobringapupilundercontrol.Itistypicallyusedinmore
extremecircumstances,forexamplewhentwopupilsarefightingandrefusetoseparatewithout
physicalintervention.
6. Schoolstaffshouldalwaystrytoavoidactinginawaythatmightcauseinjury,butinextremecasesit
maynotalwaysbepossibletoavoidinjuringthepupil.

Rationale
Amemberofstaffmayuseappropriatereasonableforcetopreventapupilfrom:
a. Committingacriminaloffence(or,forapupilundertheageofcriminalresponsibility,whatwould
beanoffenceforanolderpupil);
b. Causingpersonalinjuryordamagetoproperty;or
c. Prejudicingthemaintenanceofgoodorderanddisciplineatthecollegeoramonganypupils
receivingeducationatthecollege,whetherduringateachingsessionorotherwise.
Section93oftheEducation&InspectionAct2006.
Reasonableforcemaythereforebeappropriateinthefollowingcircumstances
Apupil:

attacksamemberofstafforanotherpupil
isfighting
isengagedin,orisvisiblyonthevergeofcommittingdeliberatedamageorvandalismtoproperty
iscausing,oratriskofcausing,injuryordamagebyaccident,byroughplayorbythemisuseof
dangerousmaterialsorobjects
isrunninginacorridor/stairwayinawayinwhichheorshemighthave,orcauseanaccidentlikely
toinjurehim/herselforothers
abscondsfromaclass/officeortriestoleavecollegeandthatpupilmight,therefore,beatrisk
2

isprejudicingthemaintenanceofgoodorderintheclassroomorcollege
persistentlyrefusestoobeyanordertoleaveaclassroominwhichhe/sheiscompromisinggood
orderanddiscipline
behavesinawaywhichisseriouslydisruptingalesson
refusestoleavetheroomonrequest
behavesinawaywhichcompromisesthesafetyofotherpupils.

Physicalinterventionmightinvolvestaff:

physicallypositioningoneselfbetweenpupils
blockingapupilspath
holding
pushing
pulling
leadingapupilbythehandorarm
shepherdingapupilaway
usingmorerestrictiveholdsinextremecircumstances.

Thelevelanddurationoftherestraintwillalwaysbetheminimumnecessarytorestoresafety.
Staycalmandsendforhelp.
Physicalinterventionshouldnotintentionallycauseinjuryand,therefore,thefollowingprocedures
shouldnotbeused:

holdingapupilaroundtheneckorbythecollarorinanywaywhichrestrictsthepupilsabilityto
breathe
slapping,punchingorkickingapupil
twistingorforcinglimbsagainstajoint
trippingupapupil
holdingorpullingapupilbythehair/ear
holdingapupilsfacedownontheground
touchingorholdingapupilinsuchawaythatmightbeconsideredindecent.

Donotputyourselfatriskifapupilhasaweapon.Donotloseyourtemperorallowthesituationtoget
outofcontrol.
Powertosearchpupilswithoutconsent
Inadditiontothegeneralpowertousereasonableforce,thePrincipalandstaffauthorisedbyhercanuse
suchforceasisreasonablegiventhecircumstancestoconductasearchforthefollowingprohibited
items:1
knivesandweapons
alcohol
illegaldrugs
stolenitems
tobaccoandcigarettepapers
fireworks
pornographicimages
anyarticlethathasbeenorislikelytobeusedtocommitanoffence,causepersonalinjuryordamage
toproperty.

Forcecannotbeusedtosearchforitemsbannedundertheschoolrules.

1
Section550ZB(5)oftheEducationAct1996
3

Recordinganyincident
Followinganintervention,thisproceduremustbefollowedbystaff.

InformthePrincipal/VicePrincipal
Acontemporaneousaccountmustbewrittenwhichshouldinclude:
o thenameofthepupil/pupilsinvolved
o date,timeandwheretheincidenttookplace
o namesofanywitnessestotheincidentstaffand/orpupils
o thereasonthatforcewasnecessary(seepreviouspage)
o fulldetailsoftheincidentasitdevelopedincludingpupilsbehaviour,whatwassaid,steps
takentodiffuseorcalmsituation
o thedegreeofforceused,howitwasappliedandforhowlong
o thepupilsresponseandtheoutcomeoftheincident
o detailsofanyinjurysufferedbyanyoneinvolvedintheincident
TheincidentmustberecordedintheIncidentBookbyeitherthePrincipalorVicePrincipal
Writtenwitnessstatementstakenimmediatelyandinsuchawayastoavoidcollusion.

ThispolicyshouldbereadinconjunctionwiththeCodeofConductwhichisthepolicyforgoodorderand
conductwithinthecollege.

CHughes
January2015
Reference:
TheUseofReasonableForceDfEAdviceforHeadteachers,StaffandGoverningBodies,July2013
EducationandInspectionsAct2006