High court upholds use of isolation booths in schools in England

An increasing number of schools are using isolation to manage complex pupil behaviour amid budget cuts. Photograph: Miguel Sotomayor/Getty Images

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.

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