Detention
By law, schools must give at least 24 hours written notice to the parent before detaining a pupil at the end of the school day. This means they cannot give your child an after school detention for the same day that they have been disciplined.
Schools must also consider issues such as:
- the age of the child
- if they have special educational needs
- any religious requirements
- if parents can reasonably arrange for their child to get home after the detention.
As long as schools consider all relevant issues, the final decision rests with them.
Lunchtime detentions are lawful, but the pupil should not miss their lunch. The school must give at least 24 hours written notice of the detention if the pupil normally goes home for lunch.
If the pupil does not normally go home for lunch, it is not necessary to give 24 hours written notice of a lunchtime detention.
You can find out more about school discipline and detention procedures on the DCSF (formerly DfES) Parent Centre website.
