A UK school placed a pupil in an isolation booth for more than half of an academic year, BBC's File on 4 Investigates has revealed. The child was among 23 students at Outwood Grange Academy in Wakefield who spent over 20% of their school days in these isolated environments during one of the past two academic years. This practice has drawn scrutiny, particularly as the trust operating the school has previously faced legal challenges regarding its use of isolation for managing student behavior.

Outwood Grange Academy stated that students are only placed in isolation after multiple warnings and that the policy has demonstrably improved behavior. However, a former student, identified as Ben, described his experience in these booths, which he said were equipped with cameras and offered no interaction. He reported being isolated 58 times in the 2023-2024 academic year, often for an entire school day, and was sometimes given trivial or overly difficult work, despite the trust's policy, updated in 2019, requiring meaningful work for students in isolation.

Ben recounted that students were seated in booths with plastic dividers and were monitored by cameras. Any sign of distraction, such as slouching or looking around, could result in a warning. Failure to comply with behavioral expectations could lead to being sent home, with the requirement to repeat the isolation period the following day. He noted that it was rare to complete an isolation spell without receiving a warning, suggesting that prolonged periods of inactivity in isolation could lead to frustration.

These findings highlight growing concerns across England about "no excuses" approaches to school discipline. A safeguarding review last year identified a zero-tolerance policy at an east London school that involved routine humiliation and prioritized control over student well-being, resulting in lasting psychological harm for some children. Another trust in Cornwall, facing parental criticism for its discipline policies, is reportedly considering whether its schools should be managed by different trusts.

Government guidance classifies internal exclusion, commonly known as isolation, as a measure that should only be used as a last resort. However, a study by education consultants The Key Group found that 18% of students in hundreds of secondary schools employing this practice were isolated at least once during an academic year. Isolation involves removing students from regular classes and placing them in a supervised, separate space, sometimes referred to as a "reflection" or "reset" room.

The Outwood Grange Academies Trust, which oversees Outwood Grange Academy and 40 other schools in the north of England, had faced a potential judicial review in the year prior to updating its policies in 2019. This challenge was initiated by a student who had spent 35 days in isolation, though the trust maintained that a policy review was already planned.

Ben's account suggests that the effectiveness of these isolation policies in improving behavior is debatable, as he described feeling increasingly angry during his time in isolation. Parents and students at the school have also expressed concerns about the impact of such disciplinary measures.

The investigation by File on 4 Investigates, utilizing Freedom of Information requests, underscores the widespread use of isolation and raises questions about its impact on student welfare and the adherence to official guidance on its limited application.