{"id":242614,"date":"2026-02-27T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=242614"},"modified":"2026-02-27T13:08:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:08:23","slug":"off-rolling-curbs-welcomed-but-warnings-over-gaps-in-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/off-rolling-curbs-welcomed-but-warnings-over-gaps-in-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Off-rolling curbs welcomed, but warnings over \u2018gaps in data\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Labour\u2019s off-rolling crackdown could finally \u201cshed light on a practice that is currently invisible\u201d but must be supported by councils and trusts to work, experts have said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The schools white paper unveiled plans to tighten up scrutiny over pupil movements, and to interrogate the leaders of schools suspected of illegal exclusions or other shady methods to skew cohorts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiran Gill, chief executive of inclusion charity The Difference, said this \u201chas been an area of insufficient data accountability\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t be up to investigative journalists or brilliant statisticians to highlight where there\u2019s a system challenge.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concerning practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The government will launch a new internal dashboard that identifies school-level trends \u201cthat could suggest off-rolling or other concerning practices, including off-site direction and managed moves\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kiran Gill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It will use this to conduct an annual review of how children move through the education system. Officials will \u201cfollow up on a targeted basis with responsible bodies to better understand and challenge where there are possible concerns\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off-rolling is when a pupil is removed from a school\u2019s roll without a permanent exclusion, when it is primarily in the best interests of the school, not the child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education Policy Institute (EPI) research two years ago found tens of thousands of pupils have \u201cunexplained\u201d moves out of school each year, with poorer children more likely to be impacted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least some of these exits are managed moves. These are allowed when agreed between heads, parents and pupils, but constitute off-rolling if not in a pupil\u2019s best interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fill data gaps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The think tank urged ministers to launch \u201ca central data reporting system which captures all moves and the reasons for them\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The white paper said the clampdown will \u201cpay particular attention to schools where SEND, free school meal or demographic trends appear significantly out of sync with their local context\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Schools white paper: The key schools policies<\/a><\/blockquote>