No — and this is a limit most staff never hear about.
Statutory guidance tells the governing body it must not tie teachers’ hands with a “no searching” or “no contact” rule, or restrict the power to discipline pupils for what they do outside school. A school can set out how and when searches happen; it cannot abolish powers Parliament gave staff. Current DfE guidance confirms those powers are still live.
updated 19 Feb 2024last checked 25 Jul 2026
What the source actually says
The limit on the governing body, in the statutory guidance written for it:
“In providing guidance to the head teacher, the governing body must not seek to hinder teachers’ powers by including ‘no searching’ or ‘no contact’ policies, nor to restrict their power to discipline pupils for misbehaviour outside of school.”
— Behaviour and discipline in schools: guide for governing bodies, DfE, September 2015, para 11 DfE
That the underlying powers are real and remain current — the DfE guidance in force today states them directly:
“Members of staff have the power to use reasonable force to prevent pupils committing an offence, injuring themselves or others, or damaging property and to maintain good order and discipline at the school or among pupils.”
— Behaviour in schools, DfE, February 2024, p.22 DfE
Your school may still require it
A school can lawfully set a policy on how these powers are used — who conducts a search, when, how it is recorded, when a senior leader must be called — and direct you to follow it. What it cannot do is remove the power altogether. A policy that shapes a power is a school choice; one that strips it out runs against the statutory guidance.
See also Do I need a witness and a same-sex colleague to search a pupil? and Do I have to give a confiscated item back?.