Effective managed moves

A Managed Move is arranged between the home school and a registered education setting that could provide an alternative offer that meets the pupil’s social, emotional, mental health and learning needs. The DfE states that exclusion should be avoided wherever possible but with appropriate planning and agreement, Managed Moves can be used.

“If a parent believes they are being pressured into a managed move or is unhappy with a managed move, they can take up the issue through the school’s formal complaints procedure with the governing board and, where appropriate, the local authority. Within the school inspections framework, under leadership and management, Ofsted will consider any evidence found of a parent being pressured into a managed move that has resulted in off-rolling and is likely to judge a school as inadequate on the basis of such evidence.” (DfE 2022)

Discussion between Head Teacher and parents/carers

The decision to request a Managed Move should ideally be made at a review meeting and recognised as a further strategy to help the pupil. The parent/carers and pupil should be provided with information about Managed Moves (Appendix: 1a and 1b). If in agreement, another meeting should be arranged as soon as possible to discuss the details and timescales of the transfer (the Managed Move meeting). In the case of a child who is looked after, the corporate parent authority must be informed.

In the case of separated parents with shared parental responsibility, consent should be gained from both parties for the move to take place.

Finding a potential receiving school

1. The responsibility to find a receiving school lies with the Head Teacher/Principal of the home school.
2. Parents have the right to apply for a school transfer at any time using the standard Common Application Form (CAF) and process. The difference between a Managed Move and School Transfer should be made clear to parents. With their agreement, the LA School Admissions team can be asked to delay processing an application until a Managed Move is tried if parents have already submitted a CAF. If the Managed Move is successful, the application can be cancelled if it is no longer needed.

Discussion between Head Teacher/Principal and Local Authority

Particular care should be taken when considering a Managed Move for pupils who are especially vulnerable to change, including:

• Pupils with additional needs
• Pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan 
• Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children

Looked After Children

In the case of a Looked After Child (LAC) the corporate parent must be informed by discussion with the allocated Social Worker, the authority’s Virtual School headteacher and the designated lead person for LAC within the home school. The pupil’s Personal Educational Plan (PEP) should highlight any move as a significant change in circumstances. This will take place through the review process and should consider the wishes of the pupil. An independent reviewing officer should be present at discussions. 

The decision to move a Looked After Child should only ever be a last resort as the disruption could also result in a change of care placement. The Social Worker and the Virtual School headteacher would decide whether the pupil’s circumstances require further discussion at the LA’s multi-agency support panel. Special consideration should be given to moves for a Looked After Child in year 10 or 11.

Transport arrangements and responsibility for any costs should be clear in the pupil’s plan.

Discussions must have regard to the statutory guidance ‘Promoting the Education of Looked After Children’ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-education-of-looked-after and previously looked after children.

Education Health and Care Plans

Consideration of a Managed Move for a pupil with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, must be explored at an EHC plan review meeting in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice (2015). If agreed as being in the pupils best interest the plan must be amended accordingly.

The voice of the pupil

Schools are reminded to have regard to statutory guidance on pupil voice.

Children and young people have a right to have their views heard when decisions are being made that affect their lives, as set out in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC 1990). 

For a Managed Move to be successful it is essential that the pupil understands, and as far as possible, has the opportunity to influence decisions affecting their life. Explanations of the procedures should be provided by a familiar adult or advocate using appropriate terminology prior to any Managed Move meetings. Pupils must be given the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings to minimise any anxieties they may have. An advocate can be any person speaking on behalf of a pupil. Where possible the pupil should have an advocate of their choice.   

Initiating a Managed Move

The initial stage of a Managed Move will be on a trial basis, whereby the pupil remains on roll at the home school with their progress being monitored closely.  Attendance marks should be reported to the home school on a daily basis, or as arranged, and the pupil’s name remains on their roll until the Managed Move outcome is finalised.

During the Managed Move, any funding available to support the pupil could be negotiated between the home and the receiving schools, including any Pupil Premium funding. 

The Managed Move meeting should be attended by the following:

• The pupil (accompanied by an advocate as deemed appropriate)
• The Head Teacher/Principal of the home school or a nominated senior member of staff who knows the pupil well
• The Head Teacher/Principal from the receiving school or nominated senior member of staff delegated with the authority to make decisions
• The parents/carers
• An LA officer, if necessary
• A Social Worker, if necessary
• A Virtual School headteacher or representative, if necessary
• Other relevant agencies as appropriate.

At the meeting an individual could act as a facilitator; this can be useful when relationships have broken down with school. They can provide the context for the meeting and outline the reasons why it is thought that a new placement in a new school may be beneficial to the pupil. The facilitator should explain that the parent/carer can decline the offer to move to a different school as they have no legal obligation to accept it.

If this option is declined other possible solutions will need to be explored which build on the pupil’s strengths and address the barriers to learning.

Practical details should be discussed in detail, especially around transport, realistic expectations of the receiving school and a transition plan for the pupil. A named coordinator/key worker in the new school should be identified through discussions with the school and pupil, and the pupil must be made aware of what will happen if the Managed Move is unsuccessful and be clear that he/she has control of the success or failure of their Managed Move.

The receiving school will need information about the pupil’s academic levels and evidence of the strategies used in the home school as part of a graduated response. The pupil’s skills, hobbies and interests could also offer opportunities for success. The plan should include an induction to introduce the pupil into the new environment gradually and facilitate their inclusion into a new peer group. Other details regarding timetables, school uniforms, equipment, etc. can be discussed at this meeting between the receiving school, pupil, and parent/carer prior to joining the school (See Appendix 2); in addition, start dates and final review dates will be discussed at this meeting. Consideration may also need to be given to alternative plans should the Managed Move be unsuccessful.

A risk assessment should be completed to include known effective risk management strategies along with identifying new potential risk in the receiving school.

 The managed move should be preceded by information sharing between the original school and the new school, including data on prior and current attainment, academic potential, a risk assessment and advice on effective risk management strategies. It is also important for the new school to ensure that the pupil is provided with an effective integration strategy.

During the planning phase of leaving one school and being admitted to another, the two schools should consider all previous barriers to learning for the pupil in order to minimise any repetition. For instance, if attendance has been identified as problematic a clear plan should be developed to encourage attendance and punctuality as a good habit and expected routine.

The Managed Move agreement (Appendix 3-MM 1) should be signed and provided for all relevant parties. For a Looked After Child a Managed Move should be recorded on the PEP and noted within their Care Plan to ensure a smooth transfer of information.

The home school remains fully responsible for the pupil during any transition period between schools/settings; it is their responsibility to inform the LA of the details of a Managed Move for any pupil on their roll by submitting the MM 1. It is essential for monitoring purposes that schools identify a member of staff to liaise with and inform the LA Exclusions Team within 2-5 days of the Move beginning.

This information is required in a timely manner as it is used to inform the members of the Fair Access Admission Panel when considering a fair distribution of school places for ‘hard to place’ in year admission requests, permanent exclusions, placements made by an Admission Appeal Panel and those under the Fair Access Protocol. It is necessary to have the most relevant and timely information available in order to allocate school places accordingly. Additional data will also be collected to evaluate Managed Moves as a preventative strategy in respect of children at risk of permanent exclusion. Data is also requested by DfE and via Freedom of information requests.

MM 1 forms should be sent to: exclusions@rotherham.gov.uk

It is essential that the transferring pupil should be well supported during the Managed Move and as a minimum, have access to a named member of staff with whom they can share any concerns.

Planning should consider other possible support available, such as, but not limited to:

• Internal or external specialist SEN teacher for baseline testing and needs assessment.
• A time-out or safe space
• Before and after-school clubs or activities
• TA/LSA support dependant on available funding
• In school support strategies such as report cards/monitoring system
• A mentor from the voluntary or community sector
• School based mentoring or inclusion in a nurture or peer support group (for academic or social & emotional literacy support)
• Change of tutor group or class
• Specialist SEN services including Educational Psychology Service advice
• Involvement of relevant support agencies through an Early Help assessment
• Support from Social Care
• Alternative timetable or curriculum
• Age-appropriate Work Based Learning
• Referral to the Virtual School in the case of a child who was previously looked after.
• Assessments to support learning along with assessments to support social emotional mental health challenges, such as a Boxall Profile, PIVATs or Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQs)

Monitoring and reviewing progress

Ten weeks is a suitable timeframe to evaluate the success of a Managed Move. Progress should be monitored and reviewed through discussions between the pupil, their family and key workers on a regular basis using an assess, plan, do, review method.  A more formal review should be planned to take place midway through the agreed timeframe. The home school should attend all meetings and be kept informed of the pupil’s progress and attendance throughout.

A final review meeting should be conducted at the end of the pre-arranged Managed Move period to assess the effectiveness of the transfer. If concerns exist that the placement is breaking down the date should be brought forward to reflect this. Any of the parties involved can request an early review.

Three outcomes of the final meeting are possible:

• If the Managed Move has been successful and a permanent transfer is agreed, the two schools coordinate the pupil’s name being removed from the home school roll and placed with the receiving school on the following day. All parties complete the Managed Move Outcomes Form (Appendix 4- MM 2) and copies signed by everyone at the meeting are distributed, as appropriate.
• It may be decided that the Managed Move should be extended further, in which case a second review meeting should be planned, and a new date agreed. However, there should then be a definite deadline for completion; more than one extension could be confusing to the pupil and family and ultimately detrimental to the placement.
• If the Managed Move is unsuccessful, the review meeting should address any on-going concerns and consider other options that may need exploring in advance of the pupil returning to their home school. All parties complete the Managed Move Outcomes Form (Appendix 4- MM 2) and copies signed by everyone at the meeting are distributed, as appropriate.

Completed MM 1 and MM 2 forms are emailed to: exclusions@rotherham.gov.uk

Evidence based good practice

A pupil on a Managed Move should be treated in the same way as any new admission with access to the same range of strategies and interventions as any other pupil. Any interventions should be discussed and agreed with the pupil and family in advance so that they can make an informed decision about the proposed plan i.e., what could be done differently to support in the receiving school? There should be a certain level of readiness to engage by all parties. Without this school could be vulnerable to allegation or complaints being raised.