Part of Education Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:00 am on 17 March 2011.
This is not saying that schools should never give notice. All we are doing is removing a statutory requirement for a particular way to behave reasonably. We are saying that we trust head teachers and teachers to behave reasonably. There are many instances when issuing an immediate detention could well be reasonable, for example, a summer evening when it stays light until 10 pm or when a school serves a very small local community. In such circumstances, it is perfectly reasonable for a child to stay an extra hour after school and walk the quarter of a mile back home, in a light evening and in a safe area. There are many examples.
I shall also quote the head teachers who gave evidence to our Committee. Sir Michael Wilshaw, the principal of Mossbourne academy, said
“The same-day detentions that we have followed have been a crucial plank in our behavioural policy.”––[Official Report, Education Public Bill Committee, 1 March 2011; c. 51, Q104.]
Mike Gibbons said:
“Sometimes, having no notice for detention can be a good, immediate, sharp punishment”.––[Official Report, Education Public Bill Committee, 1 March 2011; c. 7, Q13.]
We also did some insight research, which I will come on to in a moment.