One in 12 secondary pupils put in isolation rooms at least once a week, study finds

"One in 12 secondary pupils report being put into school isolation rooms at least once a week where they often spend in excess of eight hours, missing more than a full day of lessons, according to research. Children with special educational needs were more than twice as likely to be placed in isolation, otherwise known as internal exclusion, while students from low-income backgrounds were also disproportionately affected."

"Pupils on free school meals were more than one-and-a-half times more likely to be placed in isolation than their wealthier peers, researchers found from self-reported data provided by pupils. Children who identified as LGBTQ+ were nearly twice as likely to be in isolation, while Black, Asian and mixed heritage children were also more likely to be in isolation than their white British peers, the research from the University of Manchester found."

One in 12 secondary pupils report being placed into school isolation rooms at least once a week, often spending in excess of eight hours and missing more than a full day of lessons. Children with special educational needs are more than twice as likely to be placed in isolation. Pupils on free school meals are more than one-and-a-half times more likely to be isolated, and children who identify as LGBTQ+ are nearly twice as likely; Black, Asian and mixed heritage pupils face higher rates than white British peers. Isolation booths are a growing parental concern for harming education and mental health. There are no national rules or centralized data on internal exclusion.

Read at www.theguardian.com