The Conservatives would create more high-quality alternative provision places because disruptive pupils are being kept in mainstream schools for “far too long”, shadow education secretary Laura Trott told the party’s conference today.

She also warned against focusing on inclusion at the expense of order and told the event that the party would ensure pupils who commit acts of violence would be excluded.

During Ms Trott’s speech in Manchester, she pledged that every local area should have specialist alternative provision, “reducing disruption for the many who suffer from it, and delivering specialist support for the few who need it”.

‘If you assault someone, then you are out’

She also told delegates that girls should have separate provision from “violent young men”.

Tes reported yesterday that shadow education minister Saqib Bhatti told conference that the role of alternative provision is set to be a key focus of the Conservative Party.

“We must ensure that those children, especially the most violent, are turning up to their alternative provision so they’re not slipping outside and into criminality,” Ms Trott told delegates today.

Behaviour has been a key focus in education policy, with the government introducing new attendance and behaviour ambassadors as violent incidents rise in schools.

Ms Trott took a firm approach to pupil behaviour in her conference speech, telling delegates that if pupils are violent then “they shouldn’t be there”.

“If you assault a teacher, then you are out. If you sexually assault someone, then you are out,” the shadow education secretary said.

She added that the party can show compassion for those “who need it the most”.

“Not by some false inclusivity that damages everyone, but by challenging and actually fixing the behaviour issues,” Ms Trott said.

The Labour government is working on a Schools White Paper, which is expected to reform the special educational needs and disabilities system and make mainstream education more inclusive for pupils with additional needs.

‘Inclusion at the expense of order’

However, Ms Trott told the conference that “pursuing inclusion at the expense of order is the opposite of compassion”.

She added: “It abandons that child who needs real specialist help, who’s crying out for support.”

Instead of this “left-wing nonsense”, she told conference, “we have a blueprint to improve discipline”, which starts with “being honest about the need for permanent exclusions”.

Ms Trott also repeated calls for the government to ban smartphones in schools.

While education secretary Bridget Phillipson agrees that mobile phones should not be in lessons, she has previously said legislation is not needed as non-statutory guidance already calls on schools in England to ban phones in lessons and during break and lunch times.

“For goodness’ sake, just get on and do it,” Ms Trott said today, adding that she had met students who felt “pure relief” when their school banned phones.

In a later conversation with The Spectator editor and former education secretary Michael Gove, Ms Trott said that some pupils are using a mobile phone that has “pornography on it” and gives them access to “buying content, knives, bullying”.

“These things are not safe for children, and we know they’re disastrous for educational standards. When [phones] are in the classroom, attainment is lower. There is bullying...I am determined to get them out of the classroom,” she said.

“I think this is a real no-brainer. I actually think the government knows it, too, but because it’s a Conservative policy, they don’t dare agree with it.”

Ms Trott also spoke strongly about the government’s aim to limit the number of branded items of school uniform and PE kit to three for primary schools, which is in the upcoming schools bill.

“What they’re doing as a result of the schools bill is actually basically banning PE kit in primary schools,” she said. “It’s outrageous, because there is a sense of belonging and identity that is so important in school uniform.”

Although she agreed that uniform should not be too expensive, she said there were “many different ways” to solve this problem.

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