Suspended pupils will be kept on school grounds in bid to stop them spending more time online
The Government claims the changes will strengthen the impact of suspensions, reduce exposure to social media and safeguard young people
Pupils suspended from school are set to be kept under supervision to prevent them being sent home where they can gain access to social media more easily.
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The Government says its new framework will aim to "reduce exposure to social media" and to help better protect children up and down the country.
Under revised proposals, fewer children suspended from school for bad behaviour will be sent home, where access to the internet can be "unfettered."
The new national framework will therefore be designed to strengthen the impact of suspensions, according to ministers.
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A spokesperson for the Government said: "Suspensions were introduced 40 years ago - long before the existence of mobile phones and social media.
"Today, suspension at home can mean unfettered access to friends and online gaming – doing little to address behaviour, enforce punishment or re-engage pupils with learning.
"The Government has been clear that mobile phones have no place in schools. This reform will bring suspensions in line with that principle, ending the contradiction where pupils are restricted from phones in school but effectively handed them all day when suspended."
Moving forward, added flexibility will be handed to headteachers to ensure pupils suspended for non-violent behaviour will continue to be taught in a supervised setting away from other pupils.
The Government says the suspensions will be kept "short," with "structured intervention," where they will still be tasked with the work they would have otherwise missed.
The most serious and violent behaviour will still result in pupils being removed from the school environment and the new framework will not replace at home suspensions.
The measures will be included in the government’s upcoming Schools White Paper, which will set out a path to "transform the outcomes of disadvantaged children and those with SEND."
Ministers have also confirmed 93 Attendance and Behaviour Hubs across the country, which aim to support other schools to identify absence early, build positive cultures, engage parents, and establish strong routines.
Schools facing the most acute challenges will receive intensive support from a lead school, including one-to-one sessions with leaders and staff, access to DfE data and tools, and visits to see effective practice in action.
A further 37 schools will now benefit from targeted support from RISE school improvement teams, accelerating improvement and driving higher standards.