High court backs use of 'isolation booths' by schools in England

The high court has upheld the use of "isolation booths" by schools in England, dashing the hopes of campaigners who argue they are stressful and stigmatising for pupils.

- Richard Adams

A judge turned down an application for judicial review of the use of isolation booths at a secondary school in Leeds, noting that there were few alternatives other than suspension and that behaviour in two of the three cases submitted showed signs of improvement.

The use of the booths has become a flashpoint within education, with an increasing number of schools using them to manage pupils with complex behaviour after budget cuts and shrinking local authority services reduced the external support available.