Is corporal punishment allowed in schools in the United Kingdom?

Banned

Corporal punishment is outlawed in state and government-funded private schools under the Education Act 1996.

The United Kingdom is one of 41 countries classified “Banned” for corporal punishment in schools — 84% of the 49 with data.

Source

Taken from
Wikipedia: School corporal punishment
Last checked
17 September 2026
How it was classified
Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.

Nearby countries

Ireland
Banned Corporal punishment in schools is prohibited and a criminal offence in Ireland since 1997.
Netherlands
Banned Caning and other forms of corporal punishment in schools was abolished in 1920.
Luxembourg
Banned Corporal punishment in schools was banned in 1845 and became a criminal offence in 1974.
Denmark
Banned Corporal punishment has been prohibited by law in all schools in Denmark since 1967.
France
Banned Corporal punishment is explicitly banned in schools and homes in France under the 2019 law.
Germany
Banned Corporal punishment in schools is a criminal offence in Germany following a 1993 court ruling.

Other laws in United Kingdom

Death Penalty
Fully abolished
Gun Laws
Highly restrictive / banned
Military Conscription
No conscription
Jury Trials
Jury trials used

Every law in the United Kingdom → · Where is corporal punishment in schools legal? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.