Blog
Practical advice on behaviour, positive handling, wellbeing and the law, from our trainers and psychologists.
Reasonable force: what teaching assistants and lunchtime staff can do
TAs and midday supervisors have the same power to use reasonable force as teachers. When force is lawful, and what must happen afterwards.
Positive handling plans: what the 2026 guidance expects
The 2026 guidance calls them behaviour support plans. What a positive handling plan should now include, who to involve and when to review it.
Seclusion in schools: what the 2026 guidance allows, and what it doesn’t
Seclusion now has a legal definition and must be recorded and reported. How primary schools can tell seclusion from calm spaces and use it safely.
Recording and reporting incidents to parents: a guide for primary heads
Since April 2026, schools must record restraint, seclusion and significant force, and tell parents in writing. What to record, when, and the exceptions.
What the 2026 DfE guidance means for staff training in primary schools
The 2026 DfE guidance says staff must be adequately trained. What that means for primary schools, who needs training and what it should cover.
Restrictive Physical Intervention in Schools: Law, Risk and Humane Practice
This guide explains when and how restrictive physical intervention can lawfully be used in English schools, and why it must remain a last resort. It covers the legal framework, necessity and proportionality tests, dynamic and generic risk assessment, staff competence, alternatives to restraint, and robust recording and review.
Behaviour De-escalation That Works: Non-Verbal Signals, Scripts and Routines
This guide explains practical behaviour de-escalation strategies for schools, focusing on calm presence, non-verbal signals, and simple verbal scripts. It outlines a 7-step de-escalation flow linked to dynamic risk assessment, three core strategies, and key do-nots. Readers will learn how to keep pupils and staff safe and embed routines that reduce incidents over time.
ACEs In Schools: Evidence, Limits And How To Use ACE Awareness Well
Adverse Childhood Experiences have entered everyday school conversations, yet the term is often used loosely. If you lead on safeguarding, behaviour or SEMH, you need clarity on what ACEs are, what the evidence really says, and what to do in practice. This guide sets out core facts, common pitfalls, and a practical route to embed trauma-aware approaches without labelling pupils.