Written by Ian Rafferty, CEO and Lead Trainer, Teach+ Positive Intervention. Reviewed by Dr Carol Sadler, Chartered Clinical Psychologist. Header image by gpointstudio on Magnific
Since 1 April 2026, every school in England has worked under new DfE guidance on restrictive interventions. It replaces the 2013 guidance on reasonable force and turns recording and reporting into a legal duty. Training is the area where the guidance says least and where schools have most room for error. It says staff who may need to use force should be adequately trained, but it never defines "adequate".
This post sets out what the guidance requires, who in a primary school needs training, what that training should cover, and how to plan it. If you want to see how our own course maps to the guidance, read about Teach+ Positive Intervention training.
What changed on 1 April 2026
The DfE published Restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force, in schools in December 2025. It took effect on 1 April 2026 and replaced Use of reasonable force (2013). Three changes matter most for training.
The scope is wider. Reasonable force is now one part of a broader category called restrictive interventions. That category covers physical restraint, restraint without force (such as removing a pupil's walking aid) and seclusion. Staff need to recognise all three, not only holds.
Recording and reporting are now legal duties. Schools must record each significant use of force, and each incident of seclusion or restraint, and tell parents in writing. The guidance asks for both as soon as practicable, ideally the same day. The duties rest on section 93A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the Schools (Recording and Reporting of Seclusion and Restraint) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2025.
Prevention comes first. Schools are expected to have whole-school and individual measures that reduce the need for restrictive interventions. These include staff de-escalation skills, positive relationships and using incident data to improve practice.
Each change has a training consequence. A course that teaches only holds no longer covers what staff are expected to know.
What the guidance says about training
The guidance says staff likely to need reasonable force should be "adequately trained in its safe and lawful use". Training should also cover preventative strategies, and help staff judge when an intervention is appropriate, including when they must decide quickly.
Three further points matter:
There is no national training standard. The DfE has not set one, or required any accreditation. As HCR Law notes, it leaves training decisions to school leaders, based on each school's context and needs.
Employers must assess risk. Employers must carry out risk assessments for staff who may need to use force. Training is one of the main ways to reduce the risks those assessments identify.
Data should shape training. Governing bodies should review restrictive intervention data regularly. One stated purpose is to identify staff training and development needs.
The absence of a standard is not permission to do the minimum. If an incident is challenged, the school will need to show that the adult was trained, in what, and when. Whether training was adequate will be judged after the event, against what actually happened.
Who needs training in a primary school
The legal power to use reasonable force belongs to all members of school staff. Under section 95 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, that means teachers and anyone else who, with the head teacher's authority, has lawful control or charge of pupils. So the useful question is not who may use force, but who is likely to need to.
For most primary schools, that list is longer than the senior team expects:
teaching assistants, especially those working one to one with pupils with SEND
midday supervisors, who manage the least structured part of the day
class teachers in year groups with known needs
the DSL and senior leaders who review incidents and speak to parents
breakfast and after-school club staff employed by the school
Midday supervisors are the group most easily left out, because of their hours. They are frequently first on the scene of playground fights and children running towards the gate. Our post on reasonable force for TAs and lunchtime staff covers their position in detail.
What good training now covers
The guidance is clearer about content than it is about standards. Training that matches it should cover eight areas:
The law. When force is lawful, the purposes it can be used for, and why force used as punishment is illegal.
Prevention and de-escalation. Reading early signs, adjusting tone and body language, reducing distressing stimuli, and giving a pupil time and space. These are the skills staff use every day.
Safe physical intervention. Techniques that never affect a pupil's airway, breathing or circulation. The guidance warns that holding a pupil on the ground is dangerous, and that staff should release or reposition as quickly as possible if it happens.
Seclusion and restraint without force. What counts as seclusion, including an adult blocking a doorway, and why removing a walking aid must be recorded. See our post on seclusion in schools.
Recording and reporting. What a same-day record must contain and what parents must be told. See our guide to recording and reporting incidents to parents.
SEND and equality. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, and the risk that pupils who find verbal communication difficult are subject to more interventions.
After an incident. Medical checks, follow-up conversations with the pupil and the adult, and repairing relationships.
Individual plans. How behaviour support plans set out adjustments and any agreed physical contact. See our post on positive handling plans.
Teach+ Positive Intervention training is a six-module programme. Staff cover the legal framework and de-escalation first, and learn graded physical techniques only in the final module.
How to plan training for 2026 to 2027
Start with your incident data
Look at every incident recorded since April. Note where and when incidents happen, which pupils are involved and which adults respond. That tells you who needs training first. If most incidents happen at lunchtime, training only teachers misses the risk.
Train in tiers
Not every adult needs the same depth. A sensible pattern for a primary school is:
all staff: prevention, de-escalation, the law and recording
staff most likely to intervene: full physical intervention training
governors: a briefing on their recording, reporting and data duties
Set a refresher cycle
Physical intervention skills fade when staff rarely use them. The guidance sets no refresher interval, so schools need to choose one and record it. At Teach+ we recommend an annual refresher programme.
Keep a training record
Record who was trained, in what, by whom and when. Keep it alongside your staff risk assessments, so both can be produced together if an incident is questioned.
Ask providers direct questions
With no national standard, providers vary widely. Before booking, ask:
Are the physical techniques independently reviewed for medical safety?
Does the course cover the 2026 recording duties and seclusion, not only holds?
Is training delivered in your school, around your building and your pupils?
What support is available after the course?
How are trainers qualified and assessed?
At Teach+, our trainers hold an Ofqual-regulated qualification, training is delivered on-site in your school, and every package includes ongoing access to clinical psychologists after the course.
Where to start
The 2026 guidance asks schools to show their working: prevention first, intervention only when necessary, and a written record every time. Training is how staff learn to do that under pressure. If you are unsure where your gaps are, a review of your policy, records and training against the guidance is the quickest way to find out.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Check your policies against the full DfE guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2026 guidance require accredited training?
The DfE has not set training standards or required accreditation. It says staff likely to need force should be adequately trained, and leaves the choice of training to school leaders.
Do all staff need physical intervention training?
Staff likely to need force should be trained in its safe and lawful use. Most primary schools benefit from training every adult in prevention, de-escalation and recording, with fuller physical training for those most likely to intervene.
Are lunchtime supervisors covered by the power to use force?
Yes, where they have lawful control or charge of pupils with the head teacher's authority. That is how section 95 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 defines a member of staff.
How often should training be refreshed?
The guidance does not say. Schools should also consider refreshing training after a serious incident, or when a pupil's needs change. In any event, we recommend an annual refresher programme.
What do governors need to know?
Governing bodies must take all reasonable steps to make sure recording and reporting procedures are followed. They should also review incident data regularly, including to identify training needs and any disproportionate use of interventions with pupils with SEND.
Book a free behaviour audit
Not sure your staff training matches the 2026 guidance? Teach+ offers primary schools a free behaviour audit. We review your policy, incident records and staff training against the guidance, and show you where the gaps are.
Book your free behaviour audit or read more about Teach+ Positive Intervention training.