Managed moves: schools collaborating for collective gain

Abstract

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 paper 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 paper 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 managedmoves become more widely practiced 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.

An appreciative exploration of how schools create a sense of belonging to facilitate the successful transition to a new school for pupils involved in a managed move

“…The idea of a fresh start and the possibilities of growth offered by a change in circumstances is also a key theme in resilience research; Rutter (2013) highlights that key turning points in people's lives (such as changing schools) bring the possibility of developing along a different path with the interaction between the person and the experiences offered by the new situation influencing outcomes. This dynamic view of a fresh start echoes the findings of (Vincent et al 2007) who concluded that it is not the move to a new school itself but the process of the managed move which underpins its success.…”

“…It seems likely that making preparations for incoming pupils conveys that they are a part of the school and that their teachers care about them (Libbey 2007). The respectful and inclusive ethos characterised by such a sensitive and flexible response to academic and non-academic needs is suggested to be a key intervention in promoting belonging and has been shown to be linked to positive outcomes of managed moves (Shochet et al 2011;Vincent et al 2007). …”

“…The conditions necessary to facilitate a new start in a receiving school are not specified in the current guidance (DfE, 2011), however, the academic literature reveals a small evidence base to inform practice. The evaluations of specific managed move schemes indicate that how a move proceeds and develops ultimately influences its success rather than the move itself, with positive outcomes being linked to the inclusive ethos of the school and pupils feeling they were genuinely cared about, wanted, listened to and supported (Vincent et al 2007). Abdelnoor (2007) summarises that a child is most likely to succeed in a managed move if they are able to feel a sense of belonging and motivation.…”

“…Managed moves are advocated as an alternative to permanent exclusion and facilitate a move to another school to enable a pupil to have a 'fresh start' (Vincent et al 2007;Department of Education, DfE, 2011). The conditions necessary to facilitate a new start in a receiving school are not specified in the current guidance (DfE, 2011), however, the academic literature reveals a small evidence base to inform practice.…”

Disciplinary regimes of ‘care’ and complementary alternative education

“…Cuts to local authority provision, the development of school-run collaborative processes for young people excluded from school, the growth of 'managed moves' programmes (Abdelnoor, 2007;Harris, Vincent, Thomson, & Toalster, 2006;Vincent, Harris, Thomson, & Toalster, 2007) and a recent trial to test out schools' capacity to commission all of their own alternative education provision (Institute of Education (University of London) and the National Foundation for Educational Research ( NFER), 2013) have all contributed to a significant increase in complementary AE. This expanded AE is either run by schools themselves or with a small group of 'preferred providers' (Institute of Education (University of London) and the National Foundation for Educational Research ( NFER), 2014).…”