Managed moves: school and local authority staff perceptions of processes, success and challenges
Abstract
The current research aimed to increase understanding of the processes of managed moves for children at risk of exclusion from school, particularly exploring what contributed to success and the nature of the challenges experienced. The study was conducted in one English local authority where 11 school staff and 5 local authority staff were interviewed. Two superordinate themes emerged from the interviews. Superordinate theme 1 was concerned with factors contributing to success and included subthemes relating to fresh start/clean slate, home–school communication, early intervention, pastoral support (transition work, relationships with staff and relationships with peers) and involvement of young person. Superordinate theme 2 was concerned with the challenges associated with managed moves and included inter-school tensions (honesty and information sharing, the results agenda and moving a problem), narratives around young people, objectifying language and accurate diagnosis.
... Data were predominantly collected from secondary schools although two studies used participants in primary (Craig 2015;Bagley and Hallam 2016). The data analysis approach was largely to seek themes from the interview data and deduce ideas from the findings; six of the nine studies used thematic analysis (Harris et al. 2006;Vincent et al. 2007;Chadwick 2013;Bagley and Hallam 2015; Flitcroft and Kelly 2016). One study used a narrative analysis (Craig 2015) and two used interpretive phenomenological analysis (Muir 2013;Hoyle 2016). ...
... Previous research has found positive relationships are a protective factor fundamental to successful reintegration to mainstream school from a PRU (Thomas 2015) or vice versa (Michael and Frederickson 2013). Teachers recognised how supportive staff relationships helped the pupil feel included, welcome and secure (Muir 2013;Bagley and Hallam 2015) and parents acknowledged this was achieved by commitment from staff (Vincent et al. 2007). Crucially, for some CYP the ability to foster new relationships determined whether they viewed the placement as a success or not (Muir 2013). ...
... Having open lines of communication and a pastoral and personalised support plan for the CYP were strong in accounts from LA staff (Chadwick 2013;Bagley and Hallam 2015;Craig 2015;Flitcroft and Kelly 2016). Staff felt home-school communication throughout the process was the school's responsibility (Flitcroft and Kelly 2016) and the importance of consulting with parents at each stage of the process was highlighted (Bagley and Hallam 2015). ...
This paper reports the findings from a systematic review of research evidence on the use of managed moves as an alternative to exclusion in UK schools. The review begins by discussing the political landscape of school exclusion, the concept of managed moves and their use with children and young people (CYP) ‘at risk’ of permanent exclusion. During a systematic search nine papers were identified, reviewed and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. A synthesis of the literature identified the most prominent factors relevant to successful integration of pupils following a managed move using pupil, parent and LA staff perspectives. Despite the paucity of research on the topic, this report finds there are key features associated with successful transition during a managed move. Developing new relationships with both staff and peers is key for CYP, in order that a sense of belonging is created for them in their new environment. Further factors supporting successful reintegration are effective communication between all stakeholders and a personalised and pastoral support plan for the CYP. This review holds relevance for those working in schools who may encounter CYP at risk of exclusion during their practice.
... In the case of school exclusion, pupils can either be formally excluded for a short period (fixed-term exclusion or suspension) or excluded from school altogether (permanent exclusion or expulsion) because of their behavior 2 . If pupils have been permanently excluded or cannot be accommodated by another school through a "managed move", they will be provided with an alternative provision (DfE, 2016; see also Bagley & Hallam, 2015). Exclusion and managed moves are known to place strain on pupils' mental health and can be linked to feelings of shame, stigmatization and rejection (Harris et al., 2006;Parsons et al., 2011). ...
Background and aims
Children and young people on the autism spectrum frequently report a range of negative educational experiences and face disproportionally high rates of school non-attendance, including school avoidance and permanent exclusion, which can have a significant impact on their well-being as well as educational and broader life outcomes. To date, few studies have examined the full range of proximal (child, parent/family, school levels) and distal (community and society levels) barriers to ensuring the school attendance and the inclusion of autistic pupils. The current study sought to do just that by examining autistic young peoples’ school non-attendance and exclusion experiences from the perspectives of multiple informants.
Methods
We recruited 12 autistic pupils, who had previously experienced school avoidance and/or exclusion, from one local authority in England, United Kingdom. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the young people themselves, ten of their parents, eight of their current teachers and nine local authority professionals, including six educational psychologists and three specialist autism teachers. We analyzed interviewees’ responses using reflexive thematic analysis.
Results
Interviewees gave overwhelmingly negative accounts of autistic pupils’ school non-attendance and exclusion experiences. Our analysis identified a range of school-related factors they felt led to, or exacerbated, negative experiences in their former mainstream schools, and which ultimately led to their or their children's school non-attendance. It also went further to identify distal factors, including fragmented educational experiences, parents “fighting” against a complex bureaucratic system to secure appropriate education for their children, and limited professional involvement.
Conclusions
Our findings emphasize the importance of examining the broader context in which autistic pupils are embedded and demonstrate that such pupils are able to successfully attend—and even enjoy—school when they receive the appropriate care and support.
Implications
Schools and local authority professionals should seek to work in partnership with parents and autistic pupils to secure the necessary support for their inclusion in mainstream education. Government policy should support the provision of sufficient local authority professionals to adopt a more proactive approach to mitigate autistic pupils’ avoidance of and exclusion from school.
... This would not be the case where there was a managed move (where there is a voluntary agreement from all parties that a new school accepts a pupil that is at risk of permanent exclusion in their current provision) in order to avoid a permanent exclusion. However, there are concerns around the effectiveness of managed moves (Trotman et al., 2019;Bagley & Hallam, 2015) and a lack of data and research on managed moves for CSW. Planned moves as part of entering care can be positive for CLA, but should be subject to the child's wishes, feelings, and in line with their best interests (DfE, 2018). ...
This rapid review looks at 23 papers on the school non-attendance of children with a social worker in the UK. Whilst previous research has found a correlation between school attendance and higher academic achievement, poorer attendance is known to affect children from vulnerable groups, particularly those with a social worker, who would likely stand to benefit most from education. This review considers children who are on a Child in Need (CiN) plan, Child Protection Plan (CPP), or Children Looked After (CLA).
... (2018, p. 171). Bagley and Hallam (2015), in a small-scale study involving interviews with 11 school staff and 5 local authority staff, identified four key challenges with the managed move process. Firstly, inter-school tensions could arise if a lack of trust emerged from the recipient school about the motives of the donor school. ...
The disproportionately poorer outcomes of disadvantaged students compared to their more advantaged peers have long been of concern to those in and around the education system. Schools encounter students who bring with them their internalised socio-economic experiences which, in turn, contribute to practices of inclusion and exclusion in these spaces. The research questions in this thesis are focused on the nature and impact of exclusion from the experiences and perspectives of the senior leaders who frame exclusion in their schools and the students who experience exclusion. This study moves forward from the dominant way that educationalists conceptualise exclusion as simply the placing of the excluded student physically away from the school either temporarily (fixed term exclusion/suspension) or permanently (expulsion). It is argued here that this is too narrow a framing of exclusion and contributes to the lack of social justice for disadvantaged students in the education system by failing to recognise the various layers of exclusion that these students encounter in the schools they attend. Theoretically, the thesis draws upon spatial concepts to examine the layering of exclusion practices experienced by disadvantaged students in England’s secondary schools. A critical realist approach is taken to understand the experiences and perspectives offered and the findings are presented across three chapters focusing on the operationalisation of space – mainstream, inclusive exclusion, and exclusive exclusion. It is argued that exclusion can be inclusive as well as exclusive because students can be excluded within the schools they attend and not just from them. Within this framework is built in a consideration of how datafication practices and Bourdieu’s reproduction theory may be shaping these unequal outcomes. Methodologically, semi-structured interviews were used to gain the experiences and perspectives of three senior leaders of mainstream schools based in varying areas of deprivation and the students and staff in two pupil referral units based in two of the most deprived areas in the country, one in the north and the other in the south. The study concludes by reflecting on the five faces of oppression (Young, 1990) that the students have faced in the education system and the society it is a part of. It is argued that if we are to arrive at a more socially-just position for these students, we need to pay proper attention to their experiences and perspectives and as well as addressing socio-economic inequalities in wider society, also ensure that schools are spaces that are relevant to their goals and aspirations.
... The value of pastoral, personalised support for students, such as that provided in some of the APP schools, is attested to in the research literature (Bagley and Hallam 2015;Flitcroft and Kelly 2016). Supports, such as restorative justice, positive behavioural interventions and supports, and social and emotional learning have demonstrated how schools can reduce the need for exclusionary discipline by preventing student misbehaviour initially (Cooper and Jacobs 2011). ...
Supporting students with emotional disturbance/behavioural disorder (EBD) in mainstream schools is complex. An alternative school-based model of provision for students with EBD, titled the Altered Provision Project (APP), was piloted in the Irish mainstream post-primary schools. The rationale behind APP was that students with EBD require additional teaching in self-management of behaviour from qualified teachers, rather than the care support provided by a Special Needs Assistant (SNA). This paper reports the findings of a review of APP, focusing on the types of interventions utilised with students with EBD that were found to be implemented the Irish mainstream post-primary schools involved in the project. Findings indicate that a range of different interventions is in place. However, schools require greater guidance and support, particularly in terms of planning and implementing bio-psychosocial approaches. Furthermore, a significant gap in the findings was the lack of evidence of multi-disciplinary interventions as reported by the participants.
... However, other research (e.g. Bagley and Hallam, 2015) identified significant challenges. Certainly the headteachers we spoke to reported delays and problems finding schools willing to take these students, e.g.: ...
There has been growing concern about the rising numbers of students being excluded from school in England – a trend that is often set against the declining levels of exclusion elsewhere. In Wales and Scotland, for example, numbers of students permanently excluded from school have fallen dramatically. However, we argue that simple system-level comparisons might be misleading. Drawing on data derived from interviews with headteachers in Wales, this paper probes beneath the surface of official statistics and explores the diverse, and often hidden, forms of exclusion that are taking place. Without wishing to deny the damaging consequences of official exclusion from school, it argues that the other forms of exclusion may also carry negative consequences. It concludes that until the effects of these other forms of exclusion are known – at individual, institutional and system level – we should not assume that a school or a system is necessarily any more or less ‘inclusive’ on the basis of official data on school exclusions.
Parental choice remains a central theme in education policy in England. Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated. For some families this choice is surrendered, with volition and intention, to their local authority which allocates school places after parents, statutory guardians and families have made their decisions. Where applicable, after parents have selected mainstream education for children with SEND, their child might be evaluated, and a recommendation made for their child to undergo a managed move; typically to join a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) or Alternative Provision (AP). In this think piece, we advocate for PRUs and APs to sit alongside mainstream and special education schools to offer a more balanced first choice for parents. This means PRUs and APs are not ‘othered’ in this choice offer for parents. There are academic, psycho‐social, emotional, well‐being and self‐affirming complexities which could, and quite frankly, tend to result in the pupils and students accessing settings such as these which appear to be othered in this way.
Person‐centred planning (PCP) is both a philosophy and method of service delivery across varied contexts. It is used in pathway planning for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to promote positive transition outcomes. Due to idiosyncratic use, it is unclear how PCP meetings are organised and structured and to what extent this reflects fidelity to PCP as a philosophy. It is also unclear how young people experience PCP meetings and how this impacts transition. To explore this further, a systematic literature review was undertaken from which six studies were included and their data reported using PRISMA guidelines. Drawing upon Gestalt theory as an interpretive lens, findings from these studies suggest that PCP meetings comprise intersecting ‘foreground’ and ‘background’ elements, making PCP meetings a complex space requiring skilled facilitation. Limitations and recommendations for further research and practice are included.
A rising number of children are permanently excluded from school each year in England. Children’s experiences of exclusion are underrepresented in the literature, effectively giving prominence to the views and interpretations of researchers. This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to explore the ways in which excluded children story their experience of school exclusion (N = 18). Thematic analysis was used to identify trends in the children’s data, integrating key themes to develop an understanding of how children make sense of the exclusion situation. The main findings from this study are that excluded children tend to experience schools as misreading symptoms of social injustice, bullying, and special educational needs as misbehaviour and non-compliance. The children reported that exclusion behaviours were a communication of personal and social problems that were amplified by punitive school measures. Ways in which schools can implement these findings are discussed with key recommendations for employing these findings within schools and educational settings.
In this paper the concepts of fabrication, subjectivation and performativity are mobilised in an analysis of varied exclusionary practices in England’s schools with particular reference to “off rolling”, defined by the national school inspectorate as the illegal removal of a student from a school roll in order to enhance academic performance data. This narrow definition has gained traction over a relatively short period of time, reflecting growing tension between economic and political rationalities as the former is prioritised and the power relations dictated by performativity intensify. Head teachers are required to negotiate normative demands to include and drivers to exclude according to market
performance. “Off-rolling” is being fabricated as an object of knowledge, point of governance and policy technology, producing a taken-for-granted reality (that head teachers in England are circumventing legal school exclusion procedures), and illustrating a feature of performativity, namely, the generation of signifiers that reinforce the disciplines of market, management and performance. Following Foucault, the ubjectivation and disciplining of head teachers implies dividing practices and ascription of deviant identities, specifically, that of gamer. However, the policy context of, and
since, the 1990s has generated incentives to exclude while a concomitant policy discourse around inclusion has failed to eliminate educational exclusion.
Disciplinary exclusion practices are on the rise nationally, as are concerns about their disproportionate use and lack of effectiveness. This study used data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study to examine patterns and predictors of disciplinary exclusion over time. Students with emotional/behavioral disorders were most likely to be excluded and be excluded multiple times, followed by students with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and students with learning disabilities. For all student groups, being excluded in the first wave was a strong predictor of being excluded at later points in time. Student gender (male students) and ethnicity (African American students) were associated with a greater probability of exclusion over time. Students with higher social skills, as reported by teachers, had a lower probability of being excluded over time. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed.
This study examines the experiences of 37 students who were suspended or expelled from school and were attending an urban public alternative high school in the northeast. The analysis specifically focuses on the loss of classroom instruction time and its implications for academic achievement and on the socioemotional experiences of students excluded from the educational mainstream. This study draws on survey data and the author's own experience as a teacher at the school to show how school exclusion was related to students' academic and social and emotional well-being. Implications for further research on this topic are explored.
Government guidance in the United Kingdom encourages groups of schools to take collective responsibility for supporting and making provision for excluded pupils and those at risk of exclusion. Managed moves are one way that some schools and authorities are enacting such guidance. This article presents the results of an evaluation of one such scheme. The scheme, involving seven neighbouring secondary schools, was nearing its first year of completion. The article draws primarily on interview data with pupils, parents and school staff to describe a number of positive outcomes associated with the scheme and to explore how these were achieved. We found that while some of these could be attributed directly to the managed move, others arose from the more inclusive ethos and practices of particular schools. The concepts of tailored support, care and commitment emerged as strong themes that underpinned the various practical ways in which some schools in the cluster were able to re‐engage ‘at‐risk’ pupils. As managed moves become more widely practised it will be important to remember that it is how the move proceeds and develops rather than the move itself that will ultimately make the difference for troubled and troublesome pupils.
In January 2002, the Department for Education and Skills commissioned Southampton University’s Health Education Unit to undertake a study examining how children’s emotional and social competence and wellbeing could most effectively be developed at national and local level and identifying those broad approaches which show most promise. The study involved a literature review, case study work in five local education authorities (LEAs) and interviews with professionals working in the field. The resulting report recommends action in a range of areas, all of which were identified in the research as being necessary in implementing an effective strategy at national and local level to promote children’s emotional and social competence and wellbeing. The report has a practical emphasis throughout, looking at the views and findings of evaluators, experts and practitioners in relation to effective practice in this area. It aims to reflect both the current national policy context and the issues that LEAs perceive themselves to be facing, both of which have implications for any future work in this area.
One of the common issues schools face is how best to handle challenging student behaviors such as violent behavior, antisocial behavior, bullying, school rule violations, and interrupting other students' learning. School suspension may be used to remove students engaging in challenging behaviors from the school for a period of time. However, the act of suspending students from school may worsen rather than improve their behavior. Research shows that suspensions predict a range of student outcomes, including crime, delinquency, and drug use. It is therefore crucial to understand the factors associated with the use of school suspension, particularly in sites with different policy approaches to problem behaviors. This paper draws on data from state-representative samples of 3129 Grade 7 and 9 students in Washington State, United States and Victoria, Australia sampled in 2002. Multilevel modeling examined student and school level factors associated with student-reported school suspension. Results showed that both student (being male, previous student antisocial and violent behavior, rebelliousness, academic failure) and school (socioeconomic status of the school, aggregate measures of low school commitment) level factors were associated with school suspension and that the factors related to suspension were similar in the two states. The implications of the findings for effective school behavior management policy are that, rather than focusing only on the student, both student and school level factors need to be addressed to reduce the rates of school suspension.
Limited research evidence pertains to the inter-related themes of personalised learning and curricular reform with young people who are disaffected with school or experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The Extended New Directions (END) project aimed to provide flexible and individualised education to help re-engage secondary school-aged young people. A mixed method research design evaluated the project. Quantitative data were gathered in respect of attendance, exclusion and achievement for the entire cohort of 30 young people. Self-report measures (focus group, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires) were used with randomly selected young people, parents and all stakeholders (n = 52). Analysis suggested that END was generally achieving its aims, and implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.
This article explores the varied ways in which schools can respond to students who present with challenging behaviours and who are at risk of disengagement from learning. It sets out a typology of school responses and reflects on the philosophies which underpin each approach. In an effort to rethink the use of suspensions within schools, which contribute to the marginalization of children, the article highlights a range of alternatives to exclusionary practice. It outlines the key elements of approaches that are successful in reducing school suspension and makes evident the benefits of an approach that is tailored to the whole ecology of the child.
This paper argues that some children ‐‐ particularly certain adolescents ‐‐ are rendered vulnerable as a result of political and systemic failure. Such children become scapegoats of that failure and, by being excluded, have their rights to education and proper attention to their emotional and behavioural needs, at best, compromised, at worst, violated. Recent figures showing steeply increasing exclusion rates are used to illustrate the point. A systemic conceptualisation of the problem is offered and its implications for policy and practice discussed.