TEACHERS in Bolton schools will soon be issued with a set of rules on how and when to physically restrain violent and disruptive pupils.

Guidelines have been drawn to tell teachers when and in what way they can use force to stop unruly pupils causing classroom chaos.

The rules say reasonable force should be used as a last resort if staff have tried other approaches such as conciliatory body language to diffuse the situation.

Education chiefs say they cannot tell teachers the best way of physically stopping abusive pupils but recommend teachers get extra training on safe ways of doing so.

And they have issued a list of unacceptable tactics including pulling hair, striking a pupil, squeezing their neck or twisting their limbs.

Guidelines stress the importance of another member of staff counselling the child afterwards and both teacher and pupil talking through the incident once things have calmed down.

And the teachers are warned: "It is important that staff do not act in ways that make them vulnerable to complaints of physical, emotional or sexual abuse if a pupil is restrained or disciplined too strongly, or if they are too caring or demonstrative.

"All other appropriate strategies should be tried, if at all possible, with disruptive pupils before there is any question of physical control."

Teachers are warned to protect themselves by trying to get another member of staff to witness any incidents and the guidance lists measures they can take to diffuse aggressive situations.

The rules were drawn up to complement national guidance after the government sanctioned the use of force by nominated school staff in cases when pupils are committing a criminal offence, in danger of causing injury, damaging property or behaving in a disruptive fashion.

The law was changed from September because teachers were becoming increasingly open to allegations of abuse following commonplace classroom incidents.

Councillors on the Personal Services sub-committee will today discuss the guidelines for schools on managing pupil confrontation, including steps which can be taken to nurture good behaviour in the classroom.

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